The West African Travel and Tourism Alliance (WATTA), a new association for private sector players in the region has emerged and would be launched at Accra Weizo in June 23, 2018.
The launch will be coming four years after the launch of Accra Weizo as a West African Travel and Tourism platform for the growth of seamless travel in the ECOWAS region.
At the launch of Accra Weizo four years ago the vision was to turn the 15 countries and its 380million people into a Domestic Tourism Destination.
It has taken four year for the organisers of Weizo to reach out to over 150 Travel and Tour Operators in West Africa from six countries enough to start a regional association that will drive Tourism in the region.
WATTA will be an association for any player in the Tourism and Travel environment.
The interim Board of WATTA will be announced and inaugurated at Accra Weizo on June 23, 2018 at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Accra.
Accra Weizo is one of the events geared towards getting West Africans to cooperate amongst themselves.
West Africa is home to 15 countries of over 380 million people but tourism and travel is not the strong suite of the economic interaction in the region.
The region receives among the lowest tourism figures per capita in Africa and with a huge population and over 40 airports.
Aviation in the region is dominated by companies from outside the region.
Accra Weizo, a travel event now in its 4th edition is aimed at creating a seamless travel environment in West Africa and to bring together travel professional in West Africa
The ECOWAS region despite a protocol of free movement has not grown intra regional tourism and travel.
At this year’s Accra Weizo, the Honourable Minister of Aviation for Ghana Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah will be opening the 4th Accra Weizo event on June 22 by delivering a paper titled, “Harnessing the Opportunities in Aviation Value Chain in West Africa.”
The first day, according to the organiser of the event will be the seminar on aviation and the second day will be dedicated to ‘travel, tourism and the internet’ session to grow travel business and destination.
The travel and tourism show will be take place at Ada Ekesi Hall at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.
The topics to be discussed on the first session of the event which is dedicated solely to aviation in West Africa include: “Interlining in West Africa, a possibility or a Mirage?” “ Integrating West African Airport System”, “Standardising Aviation Laws in West Africa for Regional Growth”, “Why West African Airlines Fail Easily and the Future.”
According to the CEO of AKWAABA African Travel Market and Organiser of Accra Weizo, Mr. Ikechi Uko, “Our Events are geared towards capacity building and networking. After the success of Banjul Bantaba, we expect Ghana to Surpass the Gambia Experience.
