Our Event will be held in Accra
As US President Barack Obama visits Ghana- the world’s spotlight rests on this small West African Nation- and it’s rich heritage and potential economic future. Ghana will be where we will be holding our first West African event- an E-Tourism conference and seminar series in early 2010.
I was recently in Accra, Ghana- which will be the host city. The West African region presents some unique challenges and opportunities that will mean a different focus from our other regional events. There are also some commonalities that see the same issues that impact on the sector throughout the continent. Online penetration by the tourism sector is minimal- there is very little available inventory online outside of large chain hotels and airlines and realtime reservations are almost unheard of. The quality of websites is generally very basic- and the same goes for the public sector- with very basic destination sites and tourism officials that can only be contacted via Yahoo and Gmail addresses.
These are the same problems that plague the rest of Africa- connectivity, little or no legal infrastructure for e-commerce and lack of resources and training across the board. However, in the West Tourism is less a of a economic focus than it is Southern and Eastern Africa- and many of the tourism stakeholders are focused on catering for business, MICE and investment tourism. Of course, these sectors are equally- if not more- reliant on online management of tourism, and heavily influenced by online marketing. So investment, training and development for better management of MICE and business travel is essential.
There is also a growing groundswell of leisure tourism focus in many West African destinations- much of it in niche areas. Whether it is music festivals in Mali, the slavery heritage sites of Senegal, beaches in Sierra Leone, football in Ghana or eco-tourism in Gabon- these are all products ideally suited to the internet’s ‘long tailed’ culture of choice. For travellers with such specific interests- the internet will almost always be their first port of call for both research and bookings- and West Africa needs to be present online.
Certainly tourism in Ghana is becoming a focus- and the Tourist Board is working to convince both Government and the public of the benefits that tourism revenue can bring if the sector is developed appropriately. They are holding a full month of tourism related events, special tours and awareness raising seminars and shows during September- during which we will announce the dates and venue for E-Tourism West Africa.
Technologically the area is growing fast- and there is rapidly improving connectivity and a drive from the very strong West African banking sector towards e-commerce and integration with e-business. We look forward to working with the local banks, ISPs and data networks to help them develop opportunities for the tourism sector. As elsewhere the driving force behind tourism development and the uptake of technology in the sector comes from the young, the tech savvy and from new entrepreneurs.
Over lunch with Julian Ayeh who lectures in Tourism at the Cape Coast University- I learned that tourism studies are becoming increasingly popular- and that while most of the students are digitally aware and regularly use social media and networks- they still require the knowledge and resources to better combine this with their tourism studies. We will be sure to secure sponsored student places from across the region at our event.
Right across Africa, independent young bloggers are rapidly changing the dynamics of the business community- by becoming not just commentators but also agents for change, using social networks to spread the word and encourage greater use of technology by local enterprise. West Africa is no different- and I’ve become connected with many bloggers, tweeters and budding online entrepreneurs.
In Old Accra
There certainly is plenty of tourism potential- and not just in business or conventional leisure tourism. With an afternoon free in Accra I met with Yao Bebleou who runs a small community based tour operation- giving guided walking tours through the historic Jamestown area of old Accra. Yao took myself and an American journalist and photographer on a three hour walk through the markets, fishing beaches, disused slave forts and historic buildings of the one busiest and liveliest parts of town- providing fascinating and detailed information along the way of the long and complex history of Accra and the diverse communities who built the city- and how the modern and the traditional thrive side by side. This included visits to the local chief’s home and to amateur boxing clubs.
Yao’s company- Old Accra Tours- has been running for three years- marketed mostly to in country tourists via paper leaflets found in hotel lobbies. During our afternoon chat- we talked about how the internet could be a much more powerful tool for marketing his small business- via a simple WordPress blog and website, a Facebook page where past visitors could post their comments and experiences, connecting with online networks focussed on cultural tourism and by producing and publishing photos and videos of his tours. If you’d like to contact Yao his email is slymase@email.com or via Twitter @yaogbebleou
If small operators such as Old Accra tours can develop their online presence, and then be reflected on destination sites and regional portals- suddenly the whole destinations product offering becomes much more diverse- attracting a much wider range of tourists with niche interests- and critically- increasing foreign exchange revenue and spreading it much further, and to more communities, than ever before.
This will be the message we will bring to West Africa at our conference and seminar series- and we look forward to bringing together destinations, businesses of all sizes and areas of focus, students, bloggers and finance and technology professionals to demonstrate how technology and tourism can build a better and more sustainable future.
For more info contact me at damian@e-tourismafrica.com
