The Minister of Aviation for Ghana, Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, would declare open the fourth Accra Weizo event, which is slated for June 22 and 23, 2018 in the former Gold Coast.
Dapaah would also deliver a Paper titled: ‘Harnessing the Opportunities in Aviation value chain in West Africa.’
A statement by Mr. Ikechi Uko, the facilitator of the event said that West Africa is home to 15 countries of over 350 million people, but lamented that tourism and travel was not the strong suite of the economic interaction in the region.
He said the region receives among the lowest Tourism figures per Capita on the continent, adding that the sub-region had huge population and over 40 airports, yet, aviation is dominated by companies from outside the region.
He added that the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), in spite of a protocol of free movement had not grown intra-regional tourism and travel, but emphasised that that Accra Weizo was one of the events geared towards getting West Africans to cooperate amongst themselves.
He explained that the first day would be the seminar on aviation and the second day would be dedicated to ‘travel, tourism and the internet’ session to grow travel business and destination.
The topics to be discussed on the first session of the event included: Interlining in West Africa, a possibility or a Mirage?,’ ‘Integrating West African Airport System,’ ‘Standardising Aviation Laws in West Africa for Regional Growth,’ and ‘Why West African Airlines fail easily and the future.’
Confirmed panelists for that session are Capt. Ado Sanusi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aero Contractors; Chike Ogeah, Vice Chairman of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL); Alex Nwuba, CEO of Ghana based Smile Aviation and Richard Kyereh from Africa World Airlines among others.
He added: “Because of the need to organise the tourism products available in the region to encourage intra-regional tourism Atqnews will be hosting an award for the Top 100 Hotels in West Africa.
“There will also be a hospitality panel made up of top hotel managers in West Africa to discuss several issues in the sector.”
Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism; Mr. Lehlohonolo Pitso, Regional Manager, West Africa for South African Tourism (SAT), Akwasi Agyeman, Ag. CEO Ghana Tourism Authority, Ebele Enemchukwu, former Mrs. Tourism United Nations, Ghana’s tourism promoter and media mogul CEO of Kaya Tours Abeku Santana, Nigerian CNN Journalist of the year award winner Mr. Obinna Emelike of Business Day and others.
Uko declared that event was geared towards capacity building and networking, adding that after the success of Banjul Bantaba, the organisers expected Ghana to surpass the Gambia Experience.
Independent.ng
