Travel industry and toxic experience in West Africa
Players in the West African travel industry, gathered at the 7th Accra Weizo Expo held in Accra, Ghana to dissect the challenges in travelling within the region and proffered solutions to the African governments.
In the last two decades or so, West African governments have made efforts to ensure free movement within the 16 West African countries through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
While ECOWAS took the lead in pronouncing visa free regime and entry for its West African citizens, the full implementation of the free movement protocols has failed largely.
These free movement is undermined by several hindrances, which include feeble ECOWAS institutions, divergent national interests, infrastructural challenges and external influence from the West, especially the dichotomy created between the anglophone and francophone countries.
Just recently, our correspondent with other tourists, courtesy of the seventh edition of Accra Weizo travel expo held in Ghana, toured three countries in West African region – Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana, but was met with series of constraints that almost marred what was supposed to be a smooth ride within the region.
Apart from the borders, which are manned by unfriendly paramilitary officials like the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police, among others, air travel within the region was also costly and unattractive to an average tourist.
At the summit held at Accra City Hotel, Accra, Ghana, several speakers and participants expressed their frustration at travelling within the West African region.
In fact, an average return air ticket between Lagos and Accra is equal or more expensive than travelling between Lagos and Frankfurt, the leading commercial, financial and high-technology centre of Germany.
Lagos-Accra for instance is about 45 minutes by air, while Lagos-Frankfurt is a six-hour flight.
Participants at the Accra Weizo expo declared that in order to ensure seamless travel and tourism within the region, the West African governments must be purposeful in the sector and remove all the encumbrances militating the movement.
Mr. Ikechi Uko, the Convener of Accra Weizo Expo, in his opening remarks, said that West Africa with over 400 million population, diverse culture and attractive tourism sites recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the region should be a beehive of activities.
He, however, lamented that the region had failed to live up to its potential and expectations with numerous bottlenecks that have positioned the movement agreement on the path of failure.
But, Uko expressed optimism of salvaging the region from the path of hopelessness.
According to him, Accra Weizo was created to address these challenges by bringing stakeholders, including governments and private investors in the travel industry to discuss ways out of the blockage.
He said: “West Africa started it before every other part of Africa. But today, we are way behind. They have moved further ahead of us. other regions within the continent travel with their identity cards. They are linked to their telephone. So, if I need to make a call from Ghana, it’s broken.
“Even in aviation, West Africa ought to be a domestic market. Like, we are paying airport tax for Ghana, airport tax for Nigeria, airport tax for Togo. So, if you are flying by air within West Africa, it is more expensive because of the taxes. We ought to be a domestic market.
“We ought to drive everything, but we are unable to do it because we have not worked together. And this is not the beginning. But this is the pathway to having to make these 400 million people to the most prosperous parts of Africa.
“If we work together, we don’t need to import anything from anybody. This is the beginning of making West Africa a domestic market. Not just for tourism, but for every other thing.”
In his paper presentation, Mr. Esayas WoldeMaria, the Managing Director, ASKY Airlines, reechoed the expensive air travel within the African countries.
According to him, exorbitant charges and imposition of taxes by various governments within the continent, made air travel within the continent more expensive than Europe and elsewhere.
He also mentioned poor infrastructure, traffic rights and non-implementation of Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), among others as some of the contributory factors limiting travel in Africa.
For instance, he alleged that airlines are compelled to pay about $2,000 as an overflight fee to each country their equipment fly over within the continent.
This he said is happening despite the many treaties entered into by African governments to foster collaboration and unity.
He also maintained that one-third of air tickets go into taxes, yet the charges are not ploughed back into the system.
WoldeMaria opined that to ensure cheaper airfares on the continent and enhance air movement, all the barriers militating seamless movement of people should be eliminated by the continent’s governments.
“Once you buy an air ticket in Africa, one-third of it goes into taxes, yet all the money collected doesn’t go back to infrastructure development, rather, it is either syphoned or in some cases diverted by the governments.
“The high cost of ticket, adds to the airfares paid by passengers. Yet aviation infrastructure in Africa, especially in West Africa, is not developed despite the high rates. The profit margin in the aviation industry is so narrow.
“The challenge of connecting west Africa from Africa is much more than connecting Europe and this is still linked to corporate taxes, charges and several other levies. There should be cooperation among the airlines. You can cooperate despite the competition. Students read together for exams, yet sit down for the same exams separately.”
Also, Ben Anane-Nsiah, Deputy Chief Officer, General Services, Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), assured that tourism could only be enhanced in the region if the individual countries and tourism bodies collaborated.
Anane-Nsiah, insisted that it was pertinent for the stakeholders and experts in the sector to continue to build bridges and break barriers in a bid to pave the way for a thriving tourism sector and improved Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He appealed to the participants to seize the opportunity offered by Accra Weizo to engage, learn and inspire one another for the good of the industry, the economy and the region.
Besides, Mr. Nana Kwame Yeboah-Afari, the Executive Director at the Royal Senchi Resort, in an interview with our correspondent, bemoaned the continuous strict visa regime in Africa and the myriads of challenges at the land borders, especially within the West African region as some of the crises dwindling tourism potential on the continent.
According to Yeboah-Afari, the various policies by African governments were not encouraging for tourism, stressing that until some of these policies were changed, Africa would continue to witness the current drought in tourism.
Besides, Yeboah -Afari, called for collaboration, rather than competition among the West African states.
He said: “The recent complaints by Mr. Aliko Dangote on the challenge flying around Africa – the fact remains that he is not alone in this challenge. Visa issues on the continent are a major constraint and the crisis at the borders also call for concerns. This is not good enough for Africa if we want to promote tourism.
“I have had a lot of experiences going through various borders like Togo, Cote D’Ivoire and others. What I can say is that it is not pleasant. If you have money to throw around, you go through the borders easily, but for day-to-day people, it’s very difficult to navigate this.
He, however, said that hoteliers in Ghana and other West African countries are meeting to ensure some of the policy regimes are relaxed to encourage more tourists within the continent.
He enjoined West African governments to emulate their Southern African counterparts by collaborating with one and others.
On her part, Alisa Osei-Asamoah, president, Tour Operators Union Ghana (TOUGHA), described Accra Weizo as a beacon of collaboration and innovation in the industry.
Osei-Asamoah, explained that it was a platform where stakeholders share insights, forge partnerships, and collectively work towards the growth and development of tourism in the region.
Olanma Ojukwu, CEO, GOTA Voyages Benin Republic, maintained that West Africa required commitment and sustained collaborations to become a premier destination for travellers from the globe.
