Volta, Oti tour guides elect new officers

The Volta/Oti chapter of the Tour Guides Association of Ghana (TORGAG) has elected new officers to run its affairs for the next three years.

This was at its triennial congress in Ho last Tuesday, which was attended by 30 tour guides.  

The Chief Executive Officer of Keta-based tour operators,   DestyNations Management Ltd,  Joel Kofi Degue, was elected chairman, while the post of Vice-Chairman went to the Manager of the Amedzofe Eco-Tourism Centre, Rubby Aku Ameh.

The site guide at the Avu Lagoon in the southern part of the Volta Region, Winifred D.K. Agbokah and a teacher, Franklin Mawunyo Avega were elected secretary and financial secretary respectively.

A coffee ranch owner and tour guide at Leklebi-Agbesia, George Kwaku Klu, emerged as organising secretary.

Maiden speech

In his maiden speech as Chairman, Mr Degue pledged to work to lift the image of the association to great heights.

Pursuant to that, he said he would embark on a vigorous membership drive to ensure the region had enough certified tour guides.

“That will include partnerships and collaboration with other tour groups in Africa and the world,” Mr Degue added.

The President of TORGAG, Ashford Sam Banibensu, said tour guides played a vital role in showcasing the best of the region and country to the world.

“We are the ambassadors of our country’s tourism industry and it is our responsibility to provide exceptional experiences for our visitors,” he added.

Mr Banibensu reminded the new officers that the association was built on the principles of professionalism, integrity and passion for showcasing the beauty of Ghana.

Based on that, he urged them to promote the country’s tourism industry and provide unforgettable experiences for visitors from far and near.

The former President of TORGAG, Professor Nkunu Akyea, said tourism was a people-centred activity and that made it imperative for tour guides to train and be well-informed about the areas they operated.  

The Vice-Chairman of the Volta Hoteliers Association, Apollo Panou, advised the youth to venture into tour guiding to broaden their scope and to network with people from various parts of the world.

“This, however, requires commitment to the work without craving for money,” he said.

The Deputy Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Alhaji Sulemana Amadu, said there was gold in the tourism industry in the region.

He said the vast tourism sites, festive occasions and other events would yield massive dividends with the appropriate packaging and aptitude of tour guides.