Tourism in Ghana Evaluation - Case Study Example

Tourism in Ghana Student’s Name: Name of Institution: Instructor’s Name: Course Code: Date of Submission: Introduction Ghana is sub-Saharan (West) African country. The country borders Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Atlantic Ocean on the East, North, West and South respectively. Stretching inland from the Southern Atlantic Ocean coast is a strip of grassy plain that runs further to the East. Towards the north are found forest hills which change to dry savannah and finally to open woodlands as it goes. The two Volta Rivers (Black and White) enter from the North (Burkina Faso) to flow into Lake Volta, which is the world’s largest man-made lake. Ghana has many sources of economic income, especially natural resources, such as cocoa and gold. But the country has also making efforts to develop its tourism industry as yet another economic sector. The fruits of such efforts began to show positive results with the country being ranked the eighth African tourism revenue earner in 1998, moving up from the seventeenth position in 1985 (WTO, 1999). This marked the climax of a decade (1988-1999) that saw a steady increase in the numbers of international tourists arriving in Ghana. According to Teye (1999), the growth of Ghana’s tourism industry could also be seen in the growth and expansion of the hotel industry meant for the accommodation of the arriving tourists. This paper aims to look into these and other aspects of Ghana’s tourism industry. Political Map of Ghana Source: http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/ghana_map.htm Ghana’s Natural Resources Based on its many natural resources, Ghana is said to be a worthy visit for nature lovers. The country enjoys an equatorial climate with a good share of sunshine. The country equally enjoys a fair amount of rainfall which keeps its soil fertile for its tropical forests. These tropical forests then provide home for many wildlife (animals and plants) species, including crocodiles and marine turtles, monkeys and elephants, and hundreds of butterfly and bird species. According to Mongabay.com (n.d.), over 5 percent of Ghana’s surface area is under official protection. This area covers 16 national parks and other conservation areas considered to be of lower profile. Of these, the most known tourist attraction destinations included the expansive Mole National Park, which falls in the savannah up north and Kakum National Park towards the coast. In recent years, Ghana has become a major beneficiary of community-based ecotourism. The first of these is the monkey sanctuary in Boabeng-Fiem which homes the mona and black-white colored colobus monkeys began in 1995. It has since inspired many other such sites countrywide, including Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary (Upper West) and Amansuri Wetland Sanctuary (Western Region). There are also other cultural sites: Sirigu’s painted houses and pottery, Kakum National Park’s Domana Rock Shrine. The Volta Region also offers a variety of other such ecotourism sites as well as opportunities for rambling, hiking and mountain biking, amongst others for outdoor enthusiasts. Bird watchers have 725 species at their disposal, including parrots, gonoleks, weavers and rollers amongst others. And the coast offers a 500 km stretch of palm-lined beaches and more ecotourism sites including the Volta Estuary for endangered species of marine turtles. The Cape and Elmina beaches offer sunbathing and other historical sites. Coco beach also offers white sand where tourists with limited time can enjoy great sun-bath (Ghana Tourism, 2008). According to statistics by World Resources Institute (cited in Mongabay.com, n.d.), Ghana homes about 222 species of mammals, 729 species of birds, 90 species of fish, 131 species of reptiles and 3,725 species of plants. Kakum National Park is one of the most important of Ghana’s natural resources, attracting visitors/tourists in thousands every year. The canopy walkway is Kakum’s key attraction. The forest domiciles a variety of wildlife, including bongos, monkeys and forest elephants amongst others. Ghana’s Society Ghana is a multicultural society, in terms of practices, festival languages, mood, etc. According to Ghana Web (n.d.), there were about 100 cultural and linguistic groups in Ghana. In recent years, census results have evaded explicit reference to cultural and ethnic composition, differences still remain. There are five major ethnic groups: Ewe, Akan, Guan, Mole-Dagbane and Ga-Adangbe. Most of the subdivisions that fall under these major groups generally share the same origin and history, and thus the same cultural heritage and language. Generally, Ghana’s cultural diversity can be seen in the metropolitan Accra (Ghana Tourism, 2008). As already mentioned, Ghana’s society is rich in linguistic wealth. There are over 100 languages and dialects in Ghana. This is attributable to both the cultural differences of Ghana’s societies, as well as colonial past. The people of the south mainly speak one of the three Kwa languages: Ga, Ewe and Fante-Twi. The northern region is mainly dominated by the Gur languages: Gurma, Grusi and Mole-Dagbane. Most Ghanaians also understand Hausa, a northern Nigerian language which was spread throughout West Africa through trade. Generally, Ewe, Hausa, Ga, Akan and Dagbane are the most dominant indigenous languages and are also used in radio and television programming. Traces of religious influence on the cultures of the people have also been found. For instance, northern Ghana’s literary tradition is believed to be rooted in Islam, while that of the south is believed to be rooted in Christianity. And traces of European influence have been found in Ghana’s writing systems, e.g. Latin Script (Ghana High Commission, n.d.). Ghana’s Heritage To Ghanaians, the traditions that their ancestors valued remain of great value and significance even today. The diversity of Ghana’s ethnic groups, and the century old traditions that they value have joined to create a rich national culture which has become the basis of a splendid legacy for the contemporary Ghana. Traditional communities still remain important part of local culture and governance, and the traditional leaders still have authority over family and tribal matters. The customary lands have also become important symbols of that heritage. Accra is a historical city, with various landmarks including Osu Castle (built in the 17th century), Nkrumah Mausoleum, etc. One can also experience Ghana’s heritage by visiting what Ghana’s tourism homepage(Ghana Tourism, 2008) refers to as ‘atmospheric villages of adobe’ up north, the ancient Kingdom of Asante and the medieval Bole and Larabnga mosques. The Asante people’s traditional city is Kumasi, Ghana’s second biggest city. The Asante are considered to be the ancestors of many other tribes living in the present-day Togo, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Towards the coast in the South one finds the Fante kingdom, Asante’s traditional rival. Northern Ghana is however, quite visibly, influenced by cultural aspect of the Sahel. This is mainly seen in the people’s dress code, which is mainly the influence of Islam in the region. There are Besides the Ghana National Museum, several other museums have also been opened so as to preserve Ghana’s heritage. History of Tourism in Ghana Once much of the euphoria as well the challenges of independent governorship settled a little bit, Ghana embarked on major decisions that would drive its economy and answer to the wishes of the its people that accompanied the anti-colonial nationalism. Tourism also became a key economic agenda. 1970, according to the Obuarn Committee (1972, cited in Teye 1999), marked the beginning of serious considerations of tourism as a viable sector of Ghana’s economy. That year the government, with the help of UNDP, USAID and United States International Executive Service Corp, conducted an assessment and evaluation of its resources that could help develop its tourism sector. Thus the Ghanaian government, through the White Paper on Tourism identified tourism-related areas in which foreign investors could participate, as well as the incentives and concessions with which the government could attract potential foreign investors. Other domestically-financed projects, especially on the impacts of tourism, were also conducted. These studies revealed that the Ghana could be a viable tourist destination. The government therefore set a 15-Year Tourism Development Plan, running between 1975 and 1990. With the Danish Government providing both technical and financial assistance, the plan aimed for an average of 12.5 percent annual rate of growth, tourist arrivals increasing from 64,000 to 357,000, the initial average length of tourists’ stay of 4 days increasing to 9.4 days, the hotels that meet minimum international standards increasing from 900 to 13,000. Equally, the plan targeted providing a total of 36,000 jobs (direct and indirect) and hoped to see annual earnings from foreign exchange hitting $58,000 million. Although all this was not achieved as had been hoped, this period still marked an important era for Ghana’s tourism industry. It offered hope to the Ghanaian government about the potential of their tourism industry. In the next decade, Ghana’s tourism industry, as noted by Ghana Tourism Board (1999), moved from 18th to the 7th position on the list of Africa’s top tourist revenue earners. Today, Ghana’s tourism industry has developed significantly. Not only have the number of licensed hotels increased in number, but the number of visits by both international and domestic tourists has also increased. The tables below illustrate this. Source: Tourism Statistical Fact Sheet (2007) Source: Tourism Statistical Fact Sheet (2007) Ghana as a Tourist Destination This section assesses and evlauates the factors that make Ghana a potential tourist destination for people. These factors vary. They may be Motivational, ‘Push’, or ‘Pull’ factors. Motivational Factors: These refer to the main reasons that drive to desire or want to go for holiday or travel to specific destinations. Graburn (1983) argues that people may want to seek ‘ritual inversion’ (p. 21), i.e. experience something different from what they are used to in their day to day lives. Of course, this ‘ritual inversion’ may vary from one person to another. Nonetheless, there are many reasons or factors that may motivate people to visit Ghana. For example, one may simply feel the urge to go for a vacation and Ghana may be the destination. Push Factors: Push factors refer to those factors that make one demand to travel, i.e. push factors make it ‘compulsory’ to visit a place. According to Weaver and Lawton (2010, 402), ‘push’ factors (including social, economic, demographic, political or technological factors). Research is one of those factors that can push a person to Ghana. A linguist, archeologist or anthropologist may be forced to visit Ghana so as to access primary information. Also, there may be other events, e.g. international conferences, journalists may chase stories, etc. Pull Factors: These, according to Weaver and Lawton (2010), are factors or products that appeal to tourists and make them desire to travel to a particular destination. Through promotion techniques and tools (some of which will be mentioned under ‘promotion’), the Ghana’s government may entice people from other countries to visit so as to experience Ghana first-hand. For example, Ghana’s Tourism official website contains pictures of beautiful places and people having fun on their beaches, touring the countryside, visiting their historic sites, enjoying some of its cuisine, as well as describing in the most beautiful terms some of the experiences that tourists could expect. A potential tourist may then be pulled to visit Ghana. Tourist Activities There are a number of activities in which tourists can take part. These include hiking, mountain biking and climbing, amongst others, when tourists visit some of the country’s community-based ecotourism sites. Also, tourist can experience African drumming and dancing, as well as take classes with the proclaimed ‘only female drummer in Ghana. The tourists can also take classes with some musicians on dancing (Ghana Tourism, 2008). The Impact of Tourism in Ghana Ghana’s Tourism partly thrives on its historical and cultural heritage (including cultural practices and products). Today, most of these remain represented by specific sites that have become key tourist attractions. Indeed, the government realizes the significance of these historical sites and symbols of the heritage to their tourism industry and the foreign income that accompanies such visits. This way thus, tourism in Ghana has encouraged the preservation of the country’s heritage. Also, tourism, as a key factor that encourages the inflow of foreigners, encourages the interaction of people from various parts of the world. This way, tourism provides the suitable ingredients for socio-cultural diffusion. While this has brought positive factors such as democracy, it has equally influenced other social factors such as dressing, crime, prostitution, language. Accommodation There are several establishments or facilities for the accommodation of tourists in Ghana. These include accommodation facilities of international standards, e.g. five-star hotels. There are also homestays, i.e. holiday homes that tourists could rent for the period that they are in the country. Other accommodations that meet international standards can be found at major beach destinations, e.g. Cape Coast, Gomoa Fetteh, Elmina, Axim, Ada Foah and Busua. In addition to these, there are also other hotels of good qualities in all the regional capitals, towns or districts. Also available are budget hotels across the country. Ghana’s tourism website provides links to hotels arranged under each letter of the alphabet. Clicking at a letter opens a page listing hotels with names that begin with that letter (Ghana Tourism, 2008). Gastronomic Experience There is a great selection of restaurants in Ghana, especially in the major cities and towns (e.g. in ‘Osu’, which is downtown Accra and Kumasi). However, tourists who feel adventurous and don’t mind it may also take trips to the various ‘chop bars’ where local dishes are served. These include fufu, which is a gooey ball of crushed yam or cassava and served in light soup. One could also eat banku and kenkey. These are made from fermented maize meal and are usually served with tomato stew. Other tourist favorites are the fried yam sticks, which are much like potato chips, spicy kebabs made from beef, char-grilled chicken, tilapia and guinea fowl. Jolof rice, a very spicy dish of rice cooked in tomato stew and served with fish or red meat or chicken is also common and tourists are likely to have a taste before they leave (Ghana Tourism, 2008). Promotion Advertisement is the key form of promotion (Weaver & Lawton, 2010). The Ghanaian promotes its tourism industry through various forms of advertising. For instance, the government runs a website for its tourism industry, i.e. GhanaTourism.com. On this website, the government describes various tourist attractions in superlatives as is characteristic of advertising. The website also contains attractive pictures of sites and activities in Ghana. The most, important feature of the website is its navigability, i.e. how easy it is to navigate around it. The website, in this effort, contains key links to various pages of information. The government also promotes its tourism industry through brochures, as well as TV, radio and Magazine advertising, which also contain features of effective advertising. Source: http://www.davidajao.com/blog/2009/09/11/kakum-walkway-ghana/ http://www.traveleguides.com/ghana.php Cape Castle: http://www.ghanaembassy-mali.org/tourism/some-attraction-sites.html River Volta Hippos: http://www.guideforafrica.com/ghana/ghana-national-parks.html Conclusion This paper has been a review of Ghana’s tourism industry. Not only has it explored the history of Ghana’s tourism industry, but also the factors that have encouraged tourism to thrive and grow in the country. However, this paper is not exhaustive. Considering its recommended size and the many factors that had to be discussed, this paper has only given a basic examination of these factors. Much reading, or even visiting the country should provide the opportunity to not only learn more, but also personally interact with these factors. Nonetheless, it provides a crucial understanding of Ghana both as a country and a tourist destination. Bibliography Ghana High Commission (n.d.) Culture & Tourism, http://www.ghc-ca.com/frm-e-culture- (accessed 25th May, 2012)tourism.html (accessed 26th May, 2012) Ghana Tourism 2008. Dining/Cuisine, http://www.touringghana.com/dining.asp (accessed 25th May, 2012) Ghana Tourism 2008. Ecotourism, http://www.touringghana.com/ecotourism/index.asp (accessed 25th May, 2012) Ghana Tourism Board 1999. Tourism Statistical Fact Sheet on Ghana. Accra, Ghana. Ghana Tourism Board ,Research Department. Ghana Tourist Board 2005. Domestic Tourism Statistics: 2002-2004. 29th August. http://www.touringghana.com/documents/Facts_&Figures/DOMESTIC%20TOURISM%202002-2004.pdf (accessed 26th May, 2012) Ghana Web 2012. Ethnic Groups. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tribes/ (accessed 26th May, 2012) Graburn, N 1983. ‘The anthropology of tourism’, Annals of tourism research, vol.10, no.1, pp. 9-33. Mongabay.com 2006. Tropical Rainforests: Ghana. 4th Feb. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20ghana.htm (accessed 25th May, 2012) Teye, VB 1999. Tourism Development Experience in Ghana. http://ghanahero.com/Ghana_Hero_Docs/Tourism_Ghana/Tourism_Development_Experience_in_Ghana-VB-TEYE.pdf (accessed 25th May, 2012) Tourism Statistical Fact Sheet on Ghana 2007. http://www.touringghana.com/documents/Facts_&Figures/Tourism_Statistical_FactSheet_070316.pdf (accessed 26th May, 2012) Weaver, D & Lawton, L 2010. Tourism management, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Queensland. WTO 1999. Tourism Marketing Trends: Africa 1989-1998. 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