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– ‘Significant potential’ –
The Tafi Atome sanctuary is one of a handful of successful eco-tourism projects across Ghana that aim to protect the region’s culture and environment while providing resources to local communities.
Others include a hippopotamus sanctuary in the north of Ghana, guided hikes alongside waterfalls in the east and along the coast, turtle-watching tours are set up to conserve the endangered species.
A recent report by the Oxford Business Group research consultancy said that even though it was still in its early stages, eco-tourism in Ghana had “significant potential” as the number of overseas visitors to the country increases.
The World Bank said 897,000 international tourists visited Ghana in 2015.
But the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the numbers could reach nearly 1.3 million this year and more than 2.0 million by 2027.
The travel and tourism sector directly generated 288,000 jobs in 2016 and is forecasted to grow by 4.7 percent in 2017 to 301,500.
By 2027, travel and tourism will account for 366,000 jobs directly, it added.
– ‘Be proud of your culture’ –
Ghanaian tourism experts now want to see more emphasis on eco-tourism projects like Tafi Atome.
The co-founder of tour operator Sunset African Tours, Naa Oyoe Ofei-Aryeh, said people are currently more likely to visit the slave castles along Ghana’s coast or attend cultural festivals.
A push by local government could get more people involved, she added.
Apollo Panou, the founder of Jolinaiko Eco Tours, believes eco-tourism can help Ghanaians tell their own story.
The term has a broad definition but for Panou it’s simple: “Be proud of your culture, protect what you have and then add value to it instead of destroying what you have to create new things.”
Eco-tourism needs to be promoted, as it empowers communities to make money from their own resources, he said.
“We need to let the community really understand what they are selling, why, what they have and then they need to be proud of who they are,” Panou said.
