In a significant step toward deepening collaboration within Ghana’s tourism ecosystem, the Africa Tourism Research Network (ATRN) and Ghana Travels have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at boosting research-driven tourism development, promoting digital visibility and enhancing stakeholder capacity across the country.
The ceremony, which took place in Accra, was witnessed by H.E. Thomas Okyere, Consul of Botswana & Co-Founder GhanaTRVL in the presence of Co-Founder of GhanaTRVL, Mr Marcel Van Bussel. The partnership marks a major milestone in efforts to align industry practice with data-driven insights, innovation, and market intelligence – three pillars the sector urgently requires to stay competitive in the global tourism landscape.
A Partnership Rooted in Shared Mission
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ATRN highlighted the importance of grounding tourism development in evidence-based research. The organisation stressed that Ghana’s long-term competitiveness relies heavily on updated data, industry intelligence, and the capacity of local tourism actors to adapt to global trends.
Ghana Travels, a fast-growing destination marketing and travel services platform, emphasized its commitment to using technology, storytelling, and digital tools to promote Ghana as a premier tourism destination. The company sees the partnership as an opportunity to expand its footprint while contributing to national tourism growth.
The MoU creates a platform for joint research initiatives, digital content development, policy advocacy and knowledge-sharing programmes designed to support tour operators, hospitality providers, students, and community-based tourism enterprises.
Key Areas of Collaboration
Under the agreement, ATRN and Ghana Travels will pursue a series of strategic initiatives, including:
- Joint Research and Data Collection – Producing relevant reports, destination insights, and industry briefs to inform policy, investment decisions, and product development.
- Digital Promotion and Destination Marketing – Leveraging Ghana Travels’ digital platforms and ATRN’s content and research expertise to showcase Ghana’s tourism offerings both locally and internationally.
- Capacity-Building for Industry Stakeholders – Organising training sessions, workshops, and webinars on customer service, hospitality management, social media marketing, tour guiding, and sustainability.
- Youth and Academic Engagement – Providing opportunities for students and young professionals through internships, research support, and mentorship programmes.
- Advocacy and Thought Leadership – Partnering to advance tourism policy reforms, community tourism development, and investment promotion through conferences, publications, and stakeholder dialogues.
Driving a Research-Led Future for Ghana Tourism
Both organisations shared optimism that the partnership will deepen understanding of market dynamics, improve product development, and create more competitive tourism services across Ghana. They also affirmed that a sector as diverse as tourism must be guided by data, innovation, and technology – not assumptions.
The MoU comes at a time when the tourism industry is seeking stronger collaborations to rebuild momentum, attract international travellers and strengthen domestic tourism. With Ghana’s growing global visibility and expanding events calendar, stakeholders believe that this partnership is timely and aligned with the country’s tourism ambitions.
A Win for the Industry
The ATRN– Ghana Travels partnership is expected to stimulate greater creativity, encourage entrepreneurship and enhance the quality of Ghana’s tourism storytelling on the global stage. Most importantly, it reinforces the principle that collaboration – not competition – is what will unlock the industry’s full potential.
As the two organisations move into the implementation phase, the tourism community eagerly anticipates a wave of new projects, publications and digital campaigns that will amplify Ghana’s presence as a must – visit African destination.
