The Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), led by Prof. Kobby Mensah, held an engagement with representatives of the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) as part of efforts to strengthen partnerships within the domestic tourism space.
The meeting began on a cordial note, with TOUGHA officials, including Mr. Kashif Martino, Chairman of the Domestic Tour Committee, and Mrs. Joyce N. Agyekum, a leading member of the Domestic Drive Committee, extending warm congratulations to Prof. Mensah for his remarkable achievements and contributions to the tourism industry. The TOUGHA team outlined their purpose for the visit, which was to seek guidance on key focus areas, explore avenues for collaboration with GTDC, and solicit wider stakeholder support. They identified potential allies such as the media, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), and financial institutions, emphasizing the need for partnerships that could provide both technical and financial backing for domestic tourism initiatives. As an initial step, they proposed launching the collaboration with an informal dinner engagement, which would be followed by structured presentations to stakeholders in order to attract sustainable support.
In response, Prof. Kobby Mensah commended their initiative and stressed the importance of creating well-defined systems that highlight the mutual benefits for all parties involved. He illustrated this with the example of OMCs, noting that any collaboration should clearly spell out how such stakeholders would directly benefit. He further advised the formation of a reform committee to streamline the sector and identify synergies, particularly with the media. Since media houses are constantly in need of tourism content, he urged TOUGHA to position itself as a reliable source of such material.
Prof Kobby Mensah shows Mr Kashif and Mrs Agyekum some features of the Ghana Tourism Marketplace(GTM)
Prof. Kobby Mensah also encouraged TOUGHA to ensure that its members, especially those in good standing, are registered on the Ghana Tourism Marketplace (GTM) platform. He explained that GTM would also be expanded to incorporate young tour operators who heavily rely on social media to market and run their tours. While this new wave of digital operators is expected to create healthy competition for mainstream tour operators, he advised that TOUGHA must position itself to regulate these emerging players by awarding them certificates of recognition. This, he noted, would both legitimize their activities and integrate them into the broader tourism ecosystem.
On the organizational front, he recommended that TOUGHA strengthen its digital presence to attract a wider audience, build operational processes through a business operating manual, and develop a clear understanding of the different motivations that drive domestic versus international tourists. He further advised the Domestic Drive Committee to recruit young people to manage their media and online platforms, thereby tapping into the creativity and digital fluency of the youth.
The meeting ended on a positive note with both parties expressing a strong commitment to collaboration. Prof. Kobby Mensah assured TOUGHA of his full support and pledged to make himself available whenever they call on him
Story By: Lein Tetteh
The Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), led by Prof. Kobby Mensah, held an engagement with representatives of the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) as part of efforts to strengthen partnerships within the domestic tourism space.
The meeting began on a cordial note, with TOUGHA officials, including Mr. Kashif Martino, Chairman of the Domestic Tour Committee, and Mrs. Joyce N. Agyekum, a leading member of the Domestic Drive Committee, extending warm congratulations to Prof. Mensah for his remarkable achievements and contributions to the tourism industry. The TOUGHA team outlined their purpose for the visit, which was to seek guidance on key focus areas, explore avenues for collaboration with GTDC, and solicit wider stakeholder support. They identified potential allies such as the media, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), and financial institutions, emphasizing the need for partnerships that could provide both technical and financial backing for domestic tourism initiatives. As an initial step, they proposed launching the collaboration with an informal dinner engagement, which would be followed by structured presentations to stakeholders in order to attract sustainable support.
In response, Prof. Kobby Mensah commended their initiative and stressed the importance of creating well-defined systems that highlight the mutual benefits for all parties involved. He illustrated this with the example of OMCs, noting that any collaboration should clearly spell out how such stakeholders would directly benefit. He further advised the formation of a reform committee to streamline the sector and identify synergies, particularly with the media. Since media houses are constantly in need of tourism content, he urged TOUGHA to position itself as a reliable source of such material.
Prof Kobby Mensah shows Mr Kashif and Mrs Agyekum some features of the Ghana Tourism Marketplace(GTM)
Prof. Kobby Mensah also encouraged TOUGHA to ensure that its members, especially those in good standing, are registered on the Ghana Tourism Marketplace (GTM) platform. He explained that GTM would also be expanded to incorporate young tour operators who heavily rely on social media to market and run their tours. While this new wave of digital operators is expected to create healthy competition for mainstream tour operators, he advised that TOUGHA must position itself to regulate these emerging players by awarding them certificates of recognition. This, he noted, would both legitimize their activities and integrate them into the broader tourism ecosystem.
On the organizational front, he recommended that TOUGHA strengthen its digital presence to attract a wider audience, build operational processes through a business operating manual, and develop a clear understanding of the different motivations that drive domestic versus international tourists. He further advised the Domestic Drive Committee to recruit young people to manage their media and online platforms, thereby tapping into the creativity and digital fluency of the youth.
The meeting ended on a positive note with both parties expressing a strong commitment to collaboration. Prof. Kobby Mensah assured TOUGHA of his full support and pledged to make himself available whenever they call on him
Story By: Lein Tetteh