Taking a vacation has become critical in the life of individuals, families and
employees due to the sting of stress in recent times. The demands of
work and other social commitments, if not intentionally regulated, can
affect the wellbeing of the individual. I set out on this journey to see if
there was more to visiting tourism sites. What really excites holiday
makers? Is it walking through nature? (seas, animals, rocks etc) Culture?
Heritage?
A holiday provides time off from work and an opportunity to rest and
refresh. We spend much time at work and other activities which brings
exhaustion and stress. When we are stressed, it affects our physical and
psychological state or framework. We live in a world where it has become
a necessity to plan to destress. Failure to do so could mean a future
breakdown.
The continent of Africa is a prime tourist destination with many local
places for travel. We have several diverse landscapes, and countless
tribes and ethnic groups. May I invite you to take a trip to the country at
the center of the world? Beautiful Ghana!
When you touch down in Ghana, here are some of the landmark sites you
are likely to visit: Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, Cape Coast Castle,
Asomdwe Park (burial place of late president Pro. Atta Mills), Elmina
Castle, Ussher Fort, National Museum of Ghana, Artist Alliance Gallery, W.
E. Dubois Center, Taffi Atome Monkey Sanctuary and Cultural Village,
Larabanga Mosque, Kakum National Park, Mole National Park, Mountain
Afajato, Boti and Wli water falls, Nzulezu village on water, Lake
Bosomtwe, Paga Crocodile Pond, Mole National Park, Ancestral Slave River
Park, International Stingless Bee Centre and many more. Deep in the
culture of the people are our many ethnic groups, languages, food,
festivals and unmatched hospitality.
Let me talk about the hospitality of the Ghanaian for a moment.
Ghanaians are famous for their warmth towards strangers. They are
generous and very accommodating. They have a traditional open-door
policy of welcoming visitors to homes at any hour of the day and offering
food and drink and warm smiles and hugs. At the major international
airport, the Kotoka airport, you will find boldly the inscription “Akwaaba”,
which means “welcome” in their local Twi or Fanti language.
In Ghana, visitors do not need to inform their host ahead of time to
announce their visit. Ghanaians are naturally flexible in their plans to
adjust to any unceremonious visit. They can suspend all imminent plans
and fully devote their time and attention to their visitor. You will not have
to worry about overstaying your welcome because no one will ask “what
time you are leaving?” Please also take note that you shouldn’t refuse
food or drink offered to you (it is considered an offense). Just accept it
and think of how you will handle it later.
With my involvement in the hospitality industry in Ghana over the past
few years, I have observed on the faces of my friends from the diaspora,
and certainly direct feedback as well, that the “magic” of these trips is not
really the sites they visited but the warm reception they received from the
Ghanaian people.
The lasting impression on the minds of those who visited Ghana was the
“People”. The experiences they share with the people and the realization
of the impact they make. Some of the visitors return to their home
countries and embark on campaigns to raise funds to return to Ghana to
build classroom blocks and provide other basic social amenities. This is
indeed the true definition of the word “impact”.
The experience of the visitors is made memorable by individuals and
travel and tour organizations in the city. What these organizations do is to
secure comfortable accommodation or hotels, arrange for visits to cultural
and heritage sites and make other travel arrangements. I got to know
Center of the World Tours, and I appreciated the uniqueness of their
brand and why the teams they bring to Ghana return fulfilled, and come
back to Ghana to engage in developmental projects.
I experienced how the visiting teams are taken to the immediate family
homes of the Manager of Center of the World Tours, to meet his
immediate family members, eat local dishes, learn the Ga language. We
participated in one of their annual family “Homowo festival” food
preparation and celebration – it was amazing!
As I recount these wonderful experiences, I cannot pretend to forget
about the high point of the visit by the Center of the World Tours- time
with the school children in a local community on the outskirts of the city
of Accra. The smiles of the children and the fact they always see a
rainbow of hope is amazing. They have renewed hope of having renovated
classrooms, they have hope of getting educational materials, they have
hope of a bright future.
In Ghana we call your experience, FAMILY!
