Hot!
TOUGHA, NANTA ends conference with Africa’s Travel INDABA in South Africa
The Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) led by the President, Mrs. Alisa Osei Asamoah partnered with the Nigerian counterparts, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) with their President, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye to push the need for the continent to improve inter-Africa travels, trade, tourism and investment through collaboration, partnership and innovation.
About 70 delegates from TOUGHA and close to 100 participants from NANTA were at the conference in South Africa.
The maiden NANTA – TOUGHA conference was hosted by the School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg from 4th to 7th May 2023 and endorsed by South Africa Tourism under the theme, “ITS TIME FOR AFRICA”, to promote Africa as a destination for Tourism and unite the continent.
The conference being birthed out of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda brought together industry players, practitioners and professionals across the African continent to market their tourism products as well as brainstorm on how to ensure seamless travels across the continent without the need for borders in Africa that hinder travel businesses to flourish.
The training sessions assembled the best of faculty members from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa on tourism enterprise and related businesses to lecture on best practices with practical experiences and examples.
There were two-panel discussions and a workshop involving government and private sector participation from Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria. One of the major highlights of the conference was that all participants were presented with certificates from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
It is worth noting that the University of Johannesburg is ranked number one (1) in Africa and number nine (9) in the world.
TOUGHA and NANTA participated in one of Africa’s biggest Pan-African Trade and Exhibition show, “Africa’s Travel Indaba” in Durban, South Africa under the theme, “Unlimited Africa” which speaks directly to the continent’s uncapped potential indicating that the African continent is open for the world to explore, connect and grow, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) led by its President, Mrs. Alisa Osei Asamoah joined more than 6,000 delegates, including 1,000 international buyers and 1,000 exhibitors showcasing 350 products, trade associations, destination marketing companies, leisure tourism services partners, and the media across the continent.
South Africa’s Tourism Minister delivering her keynote address at the Official opening of Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023 said “Competition is essential for destination marketing and tourism and there is also the need for collaboration, partnership and innovation across the value chain to drive growth in the sector”.
She noted that harmonizing visa regimes and simplifying the application process is vital for unlocking Africa’s tourism potential.
The President of TOUGHA, Mrs. Alisa Osei Asamoah and members participated fully in all activities at the 2023 Africa’s Travel Indaba in the vibrant and bustling city of Durban as it kicked off with the Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) session held at the iconic Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
Some of the activities also include plenary sessions and panel discussions, B2B, speed marketing, Women in Tourism, Global Media Face-Off with Richard Quest, etc.
The President of TOUGHA, Mrs. Alisa Osei Asamoah was optimistic that the collaborative initiative with South African Tourism (SAT) and its West African Office, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) and NANTA, consisting of structured engagements, aimed at invigorating the tourism sector.
She opined that the partnership and collaboration will lead to the establishment of dedicated workstreams by members of TOUGHA focusing on specific markets and aspects of tourism and destination marketing.
She stated that this year’s Indaba offered members of TOUGHA an opportunity to experience new things, this; New partnerships and collaborations, learn from one another, make new contacts, seal new deals and network like never before and work together towards a more sustainable and inclusive tourism industry.
Members of TOUGHA with a common voice were also happy about the fostering of business networking and connections with Exhibitors and Buyers at this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba.
They took the opportunity to take some time before and after the event to visit areas of interest in South Africa including unique tourism products, restaurants, cuisines, nightlife, great weather, hospitable people, rich culture and history.
The TOUGHA President, Mrs. Alisa Osei Asamoah expressed her profound appreciation to the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Mrs. Grace Mason for facilitating the visa acquisition process for about 70 members of TOUGHA before the Conference in Johannesburg and Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban, South Africa.
She was also grateful to South Africa Tourism for the support and goodwill created over the years leading to TOUGHA’s participation over the years through its West African Office.
Moreover, a lot of commendation to the Executives, Council and Advisory Board Members of the Tour Operators Union of Ghana.
Finally, she expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and the main implementing agency, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) as well as the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC).
President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned four career diplomats as ambassador-designates to represent Ghana in four countries.
The commissioning ceremony took place on Friday, October 16, 2026.
The new envoys are Her Excellency Nana Antwiwaa Dodoo, Ambassador-Designate to Angola; His Excellency Louis Kwame Obeng, Ambassador-Designate to Qatar; Her Excellency Evelyn Korantemaa Ofosu-Amable, Ambassador-Designate to Israel; and His Excellency Jedidiah Reuben Adogla, Permanent Representative-Designate to Switzerland.
President Mahama charged them to advance Ghana’s national interests through strategic partnerships, economic diplomacy, investment mobilization, and expanded access to international markets.
He said Ghana’s diplomatic engagements must deliver tangible economic benefits, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s standing on the international stage.
The four envoys are career diplomats with over 27 years of experience.
On behalf of her colleagues, Her Excellency Nana Antwiwaa Dodoo thanked the President for the confidence reposed in them and pledged their commitment to emulate his leadership and deliver on the mandate given to them.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
