Ghana news SA Tourism Minister invites Ghana to Africa Travel Indaba
Last year, as I wandered through the vast halls of the Africa Travel Indaba at the Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) – known to many as the Nkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre – I met a young lady on a mission.
Among the over 1,000 exhibitors from across the continent, she sought only one: Ghana. Yet, she couldn’t find it. Her disappointment was palpable when I broke the news – Ghana had not shown up.
Determined not to let her leave empty-handed, we found a quiet spot at the food court, and over steaming plates of bunny chow, I took her on an impromptu journey through my homeland.
I painted vivid pictures of Ghana’s rich history, vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes and tantalising cuisine.
Visa waiver
But as much as I enjoyed sharing my country’s story, I couldn't shake off my frustration.
How, at a time when Ghana and South Africa had just signed a visa waiver agreement, did Ghana miss the opportunity to be present at Africa’s largest tourism marketplace?
That year, only two exhibitors – African Regent Hotel and Senchi Resort – represented Ghana, a glaring omission that left a void in our nation’s tourism promotion efforts, in my view.
Fast forward to this week, and South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, has been in Ghana on an important mission – to strengthen tourism ties between our two nations. As part of her outreach programme, she met with Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abla-Dzifa Gomashie, along with key players in the tourism trade, the South Africa-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, and select media stakeholders.
Her message was clear: South Africa sees Ghana as a crucial tourism partner, and she is keen to foster greater collaboration between the two countries.
Since the visa waiver agreement came into effect in November 2023, Ghanaian travel to South Africa has surged. Over 36,000 Ghanaians visited South Africa in 2024, but the reverse traffic remains significantly lower.
Key initiatives
Minister de Lille is eager to change that. At a breakfast session with travel trade partners and media, she emphasised the need for increased South African travel to Ghana and announced two key initiatives to help achieve this:
• She extended an open invitation to Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority to attend Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025, ensuring that Ghana is prominently showcased.
• She proposed facilitating a visit for Ghanaian tour operators to South Africa, where they would meet with their South African counterparts to explore business opportunities and strengthen partnerships.
This invitation could not have come at a better time. Ghana has a golden opportunity to reposition itself on the African travel map, and Africa’s Travel Indaba provides the perfect stage.
Africa Travel Indaba
Scheduled from May 12 to 15, 2025, at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban, Indaba is the continent’s premier travel trade show, hosted in collaboration with Durban Tourism, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission.
The potential benefits of Ghana’s participation in Indaba are immense. First, it would significantly elevate Ghana’s visibility among international travel buyers, investors and media, helping to attract more tourists and investment to the country.
Second, it offers an invaluable B2B networking platform where Ghanaian tourism stakeholders can forge meaningful partnerships with key players in the global travel industry.
And third, it provides an opportunity to learn, adapt and adopt innovative tourism marketing strategies that could help Ghana grow its inbound tourism numbers.
Beyond Indaba, another event of interest is Meetings Africa 2025, a prestigious business events trade show set to take place in February.
Kicking off with the Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) on February 24, Meetings Africa will bring together top professionals in the MICE sector, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange on the theme: "Africa’s Success Built on Quality Connections."
Ghana’s tourism stakeholders should seize these opportunities with both hands. South African Airways currently operates four flights per week to Accra, with the fourth flight added in November 2024.
By the end of this year, the airline is expected to launch daily flights between Accra and Johannesburg.
This increased connectivity presents an ideal moment to drive reciprocal tourism between the two nations.
South African Tourism has led the way in investing in media, marketing and familiarisation trips to attract Ghanaian travellers.
The Ghana Tourism Authority must take a page from this playbook, implementing targeted marketing campaigns, strategic partnerships and promotional initiatives to draw more South Africans to Ghana.
With the right approach, Ghana can turn this renewed bilateral tourism relationship into a thriving avenue for economic and cultural exchange.
The invitation has been extended - now it’s time for Ghana to step up and make its presence felt on the continental tourism stage.
