The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyeman, has officially resigned from his position after serving since January 2017. During his tenure, Mr Agyeman led the GTA through challenging times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and played a pivotal role in the agency’s recovery and growth.
Under his leadership, international tourist arrivals saw a significant increase from 355,108 in 2020 to 1,148,002 in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, domestic tourism experienced substantial growth, with visitor numbers rising from 456,000 in 2017 to 1.4 million in 2023.
Mr Agyeman’s achievements include the revitalization of several tourist sites such as Kintampo Waterfalls, the Kwahu Paragliding Site, Bunso Eco Park, Denkyira Kyekyewere Eco Park, Tano Boase Sacred Grove, the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, and Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary.
He also led the redevelopment of key historic and cultural landmarks like the Accra Tourist Information Centre, Nationalism Park, Geese Park, Salaga Slave Market, Bonwire Kente Museum, and Pikworo Slavery Camp.
His notable initiatives, such as “The Year of Return” and “December in Ghana,” helped position the country as a popular Christmas holiday destination, boosting international tourism.
Mr Agyeman also focused on digital transformation, launching the National Tourism Destination Single Window Project and the “Visit Ghana” App. He prioritized capacity building by training over 3,069 individuals in customer service, digital marketing, and tourism product development under the Ghana CARES Obaatanpa Initiative.
Following his resignation, Mr Agyeman has passed on his responsibilities to Otto Langmane, the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Ekow Sampson, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations.
His departure aligns with similar exits of other heads of state institutions post-December 7 Presidential election, including Sammi Awuku, CEO of the National Lottery Authority, and Julie Essiam, Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
