News
Ghana’s tourism sector to fully recover in 3 yrs —Prof. Mensah
Ghana’s tourism sector will take between two to three years to fully recover from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic,an Associate Professor at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Ishmael Mensah has predicted.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times in an interview yesterday, Prof. Mensahwho is also the Ghana Director of the Confucius Institute, UCC said that the International Tourism Organisation (ITO) projected a decline of international tourist arrival between 20 and 30 percent for the year due to the impact of COVID-19.
This he explained would impact Ghana’s tourism sector extensively due to the fact that the domestic tourism industry had not been developed.
He has, therefore, asked players within the sector to brace themselves up for the setback and innovate to ensure they survived the scourge even as steps were taken to ease the restrictions.
In addition, he has urgedthe government to lead the way in the recovery processes since it was one of the critical sectors of the Ghanaian Economy, stressing that”We should not leave the recovery efforts in the hands of hotels, airlines and other organisations within the value chain” he said.
Tourism until the discovery of oil in commercial quantities was the third highest foreign exchange earner for the country, however, with the discovery, it has been dislodged.
Currently, it is the fourth largest foreign exchange earner with more than $1.7billion, representing about six per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product for 2019.
Prof. Mensah said the sector had globally declined due to the pandemic; however, the impact of the decline at the local level would differ depending on individual countries.
“The tourism sector globally has declined due to the pandemic; however, the impact at the local level can be even more devastating unless some innovative ways are adopted to prop up the sector.
“I see, a number of hotels have shut down whiles other agencies within the industry are facing challenges of eminent collapse,” he said.
The average occupancy rate before COVID-19, he said, was 70 percent but the emergence of the virus had slashed the average occupancy ratio to 30 percent with others registering as low as five percent and below, saying, “Our hotels are in serious distress”.
However, he said the domestic market even though not well developed, would commence with the recovery processes first and then that of inbound tourism would pick up gradually, adding that, “the road to recovery will be a long while.”
Prof. indicated that the tourism sector was a resilient one, saying, “We have to understand that all is not lost but the state needsto put in adequate measures to ensure the sector gets out of the current challenges quickly”.
As part of the recovery processes, he called for the state to put up an intensified promotional and marketing campaign, adding that “such a campaign may enable the country discover new markets.”
He commended government for showing leadership with the GH¢600 million stimuluspackages for businesses and urged those in the industry to apply for funds to address their challenges.
However, he said there would be the need for the “Beyond the Return” project which was supposed to have commenced this year to be re-launched when things normalised in about two to three years time to enable the sector to take full advantage of the diasporan market.
On a possible slump of tourism from being the fourth foreign exchange earner in the country, Prof. Mensah said, that would not materialise with a decline in the other entire sectors due to the pandemic.
“Tourism will continue to be the fourth exchange ex-change earner despite the challenges the sector is facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic” he said.
From David O Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
A new international whitepaper on democracy in Africa has placed Ghana’s Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, at the centre of a major research study on the role of opposition parties in strengthening democratic governance across the continent.
The study is being conducted by the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Ghana.
It uses Ghana’s 2025/2026 parliamentary session as a case study to examine how opposition parties can contribute to peace, development and democratic stability.
President of the ACCP, Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, said the research forms part of a wider continental project aimed at identifying successful governance models in Africa.
He explained that the chamber is interested in promoting positive African stories and finding practical democratic systems that other countries can adopt.
Mr. Dwomoh-Doyen said political differences should not create division or hostility among leaders and citizens.
He stated that despite belonging to different political sides, people must work together in the interest of national development.
According to him, Ghana’s democratic journey and parliamentary system made the country an important case for the study.
The whitepaper, titled “A Strong and Responsible Opposition in Africa: A Ghanaian Case Study (2025/2026 Review)”, reviews the Minority Leader’s parliamentary activities, including his statements, motions and media engagements.
Researchers are also conducting public opinion surveys in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale as part of the study.
Head of ACCP’s Liberia branch, Dr. Murphy T. Jackson, said African countries should formally recognise and support the office of the Leader of the Opposition through legal structures and institutional resources.
He noted that such systems would help reduce the chances of unconstitutional changes of government on the continent.
Head of Research at ACCP Ghana, David Adofo, described Ghana’s opposition institution as one of the strongest in Africa.
He said although the current research focuses on Ghana, future studies would examine opposition institutions in other African countries.
Deputy Secretary General of UPF-Ghana, Tegha King, stressed the importance of a responsible opposition in national development.
Speaking on behalf of the Universal Peace Federation and the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), he said opposition parties should not be seen as enemies of progress.
According to him, respectful debate, alternative policy ideas and cross-party dialogue are necessary for strong democratic institutions and national peace.
The research comes at a time when some African countries are experiencing political instability and military takeovers.
Despite these challenges, Ghana continues to be recognised as one of Africa’s stable democracies, having recorded several peaceful transfers of power since 1992.
The completed whitepaper will later be submitted to an international peer-reviewed journal, while the abstract has already been made available upon request.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
NuGhana Expat Center to launch ‘AfroTango Platform’ to support diasporans in Ghana and Africa — Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang
The Executive Director of the NuGhana International Expat Center, Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang, has disclosed that the organisation is preparing to launch the “AfroTango Platform” to support diasporans with integration in Ghana and across Africa.
According to him, the platform is intended to help diasporans navigate African systems, which many often find difficult to understand after relocating from Western countries.
“The AfroTango Platform will provide a structured bridge, offering orientation, vetted service referrals, and a trusted community to help them integrate smoothly for business or relocation,” he said.
Mr. Opoku-Agyemang made the disclosure while speaking about a proposal submitted by the NuGhana International Expat Center to the government of President John Dramani Mahama for the establishment of a specialised multi-agency Diaspora Protection and Human Capital Task Force.
According to their statement, the proposal has been submitted to the President and shared with key institutions, including the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), the Ministry of the Interior, the Office of National Security, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of Diaspora Affairs, and the Black Star Experience Secretariat.
Mr. Opoku-Agyemang explained that the proposed task force would help protect diasporans and foreign nationals from organised fraud and exploitation while also helping the country benefit from their expertise, investments, and professional skills.
He noted that many diasporans relocating to Ghana often face challenges such as land disputes, business fraud, and difficulties finding trusted people to guide them through local systems.
President of the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP), Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, who endorsed the proposal, described the initiative as timely and necessary.
According to him, the leadership of NuGhana understands the realities and expectations of diasporans because of their experience living in Western countries.
He appealed to the government to consider the proposal seriously, stating that it could help protect lives and investments while encouraging more diasporans to contribute to national development.
The statement identified key challenges facing diasporans, including organised land and business scams, the absence of a unified system to engage skilled professionals entering the country, and fears over investment security.
Some diasporans who spoke on condition of anonymity also welcomed the initiative and said a state-backed protection system would give them more confidence to relocate and invest in Ghana.
NuGhana said it has already built a human capital and risk database over the past four years to catalogue diasporans and foreign nationals according to their professions, skills, investment interests, and reported incidents.
The organisation added that it is ready to engage the President’s designated team to demonstrate its database and begin a pilot phase of the proposed framework.
By: Jacob Aggrey
