Organizers of the 3RD Accra Weizo in Ghana have revealed that the Compilation of the Top 100 Tourism Personalities will be launched at this Year’s event in Accra, Ghana.
Tourism Top 100 Personalities in West Africa is a report of “Who is who” in the travel and tourism industry in West Africa. This is in line with the vision of Accra Weizo, the ECOWAS travel and tourism fair, with a theme to promote seamless travels in West Africa.
The presentations would hold on the 26th May 2017 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana. The 3rd Edition of Accra Weizo an ECOWAS region Travel Expo is organized in partnership with ATQNews.com and Travellers Magazine.
AKWAABA African Travel Market is annual Tourism Exhibition and the major International Travel Fair in West Africa, which serves as a meeting place for the entire travel trade featuring exhibitions, African Travel and Tourism Conferences, Hospitality sessions, Product launch, Country Day celebrations, Trainings and African Awards geared at moving Africa forward, marketing our rich tourism potentials and Culture, thus referred to as ‘where Africa meets the world’.
Nominations for the awards are still ongoing by the Awards committee of Experts in partnership with the Board of ATQNews, and winners would be announced in the second week of April 2017.
The Top 100 Tourism Personalities in West Africa are individuals who have distinguished themselves and through their efforts or that of their organization have impacted positively on the travel and tourism sector across the West African sub region, whose effort have stimulated and helped to achieve their individual country’s tourism goals and forging interactions among stakeholders and customers across the region.
Dein Gbabo, Project Manager of AKWAABA African Travel Market, speaking about the event, explained that, “In West Africa, the people in travel business need to network. Each country in the region works in silos. This situation necessitated the need to create opportunities to network and by so doing stimulate the great potentials and benefits that lurk within travel business among the countries in the region. “Based on these, we are profiling for the Balafon Awards and Top 100 Tourism Personalities Awards, selections are done annually. We invite you to join us in Accra, Ghana for the event,” she concluded.
This year’s Accra Weizo is looking to create networking opportunity for players in the travel and tourism industry to meet the products, companies and personalities who drive travel business in the sub region.
This presents a great opportunity for people and organizations seeking to do business in West Africa. The first days’ event, 26th will have five (5) sessions; the ECOWAS session discussing “Partnership that works; the West African Private sector in partnerships”, Aviation Session discussing “West Africa as a Domestic Aviation Environment”, Tourism Session discussing “West Africa as a single Tourist Destination”, Tour packaging session on how to package inbound and outbound tours and presentation of Top 100 personalities in West Africa compilation and BALAFON Awards 2017.
We have invited globally rated speakers, panelists and special guests to take on various sessions; amongst which are: Enobong Umoessien Ph.D; Acting Director Private sector Directorate ECOWAS, Stella Christaine; private sector Directorate ECOWAS, Dr Harold Demuren Fmr DG Nigerian Civil Aviation Authourity (NCAA), DG Ghana Civil Aviation Authourity, Chike Ogeah; Vice president SAHCOL, MD Air Cote d’ivoire, MD Air Peace, MD Medview Airlines, MD ASKY, MD AWA, Hon. Minister of Aviation Ghana, Hon. Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Paul Adalikwu; DG Nigerian Tourism Development Commission (NTDC), Nkereuwem Onung; President Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Olanma Ojukwu MD GOTA Benin, Chiquita Afuluenu; CEO West Tourism Management Liberia and Various Country’s Tourism Boards.
Expected participants are Tour Operators and Travel Agents in Ghana, Nigerian Tour operators and Travel agents, Team Africa members, Travel agents from Benin republic and Togo, South African Tourism Board, Dubai Tourism, Tour Operators from Liberia, West Africa Tourism Boards’, Destination managers, Leading Hotels General Managers amongst others.
The Digital marketing seminar, networking, exposure and provision of skills will hold on the 27th. It will provide knowledge on eTourism in theory and practice, E-marketing Strategy, Web Design, Content and Management, Analytics and Conversion Optimisation, Search Engine Marketing, Relationship Marketing, The Generation Gap- Encouraging User Generated Content; Trip advisor, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Managing Multimedia and Mobile and Location Based Services.
The last edition of Accra Weizo pulled together stakeholders in the travel, tourism, aviation and allied sector at La Palms Royal Beach Hotel and Resort in Accra, Ghana and featured a brain-storming session with a focus on liberalized air connectivity, visa accessibility and free movement in Africa.
The stakeholders who were mostly drawn from Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries observed the need to eradicate all entry barriers militating against free movement in the sub- region, to facilitate seamless travel in West Africa. Balafon is the West African Travel Awards instituted many years ago by the organisers of Akwaaba African Travel Market. It was set up to recognize individuals who have excelled in Tourism and Travel and who also have contributed to the growth of Tourism and Travels in the region.
