In the 1970s, when visionary leaders in the West African region gathered to form the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), they had one common goal in mind – the integration of the region for mutual development along all frontiers.
Sadly, after many years, ECOWAS still lags behind other economic block in Africa, especially East and Southern Africa where regional integration is yielding huge socio-economic results.
It baffles though, that despite ECOWAS’ almost 300 million people spread across 15 countries, the region has not been able to sustain a viable integration. Yet, with its over 40 airports the economy of the region can sustain a viable travel and tourism industry, but the reverse seems the case.
These sad realities are top among the reasons Accra Weizo is been promoted. The one-day travel event, slated for July 3, 2015, at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana, focuses on regional integration of ECOWAS, bringing a seamless travel experience to stakeholders across the region who will take advantage of its platform.
According to Ikechi Uko, its promoter, Weizo seeks to bring travel professionals together to share knowledge and work out a future path of success for the region. Explaining further on the rationale behind the one-day event, Uko notes that the Weizo is targeted at the founding vision of ECOWAS to create a region of one people integrating and growing together, as “it is coming as ECOWAS celebrates 40 years of existence.”
Uko, a foremost travel and tourism expert and promoter, and CEO, Akwaaba Africa Travel Market, is also moved by the fact that the seamless integration is still far from reality, but must be remedied to vindicate people such as Harold Demuren, former director-general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, who said in Abuja at the Bantaba event 2012 while receiving the award of Travel Personality of the year that “West Africa should be a single domestic aviation environment, integration, safety regulations, airline connections and airports.”
The quest for seamless integration informed the theme of the maiden edition of the Weizo, which is: ‘Seamless Travel in West Africa.’
The event, which is expected to bring together over 150 major players in travel and tourism in West Africa and also honour 20 outstanding Travel Personalities for their roles in building trade across the sub-region, will be hosted by Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, minister of tourism and creative arts, Ghana.
The event will also bring United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) closer to the region with the participation of Rosette Chantal Rugamba, special adviser to the secretary general, UNWTO, who will deliver a keynote paper titled ‘Regional Blocks as Tourism Destinations.’
Beyond the keynote paper, the participants will benefit from the rich experience of Rosette who started the tourism projects of Rwanda including ‘Kwita Izina,’ the famous Gorilla naming ceremony.
Also, two papers will be presented at the aviation session; one by Adefunke Adeyemi, head, IATA for Africa and the Middle East, on ‘Intra Africa Air Connectivity, the Facts, Challenges and Benefits,’ and the second paper will be on ‘Passenger Friendliness and Airport Infrastructure in West Africa.’
The aviation presentation will be treated by a panel made up of airline CEOs, aviation heads and airport managers from across West Africa.
Other speakers at the event include: Femi Adefope, head, HRG and GSA for Delta Airlines in Nigeria, who will speak on ‘Trans-border Investment in Travel Business;’ Frank Nneji, MD, ABC Transport, Nigeria, will speak on ‘Doing Business across West Africa.’
The other paper to be presented at the event will be on the ‘Role of the Private Sector in Regional Integration.’
The event is in partnership with the Ghana Tour Operators Union (TOUGHA) and will feature private tours to Accra and Cape-Coast on the second day.
Weizo is an event put together by the organisers of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Lagos, the only international travel fair in West Africa recognised by UNWTO, and Abuja Bantaba, Abuja, Nigeria.
OBINNA EMELIKE
