This call to action came during the eighth edition of the West African Travel Expo (Accraweizo 2025), held from June 27 to July 1 in Accra, Ghana.
Rethinking Regional Travel: A Summit for Practitioners
Themed “Reimagining The ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol,” the event focused on unlocking seamless travel across West African borders by tackling both opportunities and persistent hurdles.
A major highlight was the first-ever summit dedicated specifically to tour operators and transporters. According to Mr. Ikechi Uko, the tourism expert and organiser of Accraweizo, the goal was to bring together the true enablers of regional travel.
“Transporters and tour operators have been the ones sustaining regional travel, but they’ve rarely worked together,” he explained in an interview on the sidelines.
“So, we thought, let’s convene them—first, to network; second, to challenge one another; and third, to get them to take a position on how to improve,” he said.
ECOWAS Engages Directly with Tourism Practitioners
The summit also marked a new phase in engagement with ECOWAS, the regional bloc. Uko commended ECOWAS for recognising the value of interacting directly with practitioners rather than just national tourism agencies.
He observed that many problems with implementing the Free Movement Protocol are rooted not in the protocol itself but in how individual states enforce it.
Notably, ECOWAS has requested a formal report on the summit’s outcomes. Uko said they had asked participants to identify five key issues with practical recommendations.
“We don’t want to impose a report from the top; it must be participatory, something they own. Once it’s done, we will present it to the ECOWAS president,” he added.
Building Networks for the Future
Plans are already taking shape for the next edition of Accraweizo in 2026. Uko revealed that 21 tour operators from East Africa have expressed interest in attending to find West African partners, underscoring the event’s growing role as a platform for cross-regional networking.
According to him, the bigger goal is to make regional travel easier and more appealing by improving access to cities and towns, simplifying airport and border processes, and promoting partnerships.
“West Africa is the biggest region in Africa, with over 400 million people rich in culture and tourist attractions,” Uko said.
“But it receives the least number of tourists, even though West African countries generate the highest number of outbound travellers in Africa. There is a need to encourage West Africans to travel within the region, and this is the goal of Accraweizo.”
Stakeholders Call for Policy Support and Partnerships
Other voices at the summit echoed the call for greater collaboration.
Yvonne Donkor, President of the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), emphasised the need for continuous dialogue, advocacy for supportive cross-border policies, and innovative partnerships to overcome barriers to regional travel.
Similarly, Mrs. Bolaji Mustapha, President of the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), underscored the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in realising seamless cross-border travel.
She called on West African governments to work together on critical infrastructure development, such as roads, border facilities, and transport systems.
Mustapha also noted the importance of bridging the region’s language divide by promoting bilingual content and collaboration.
A Regional Commitment to Growth
The 2025 Accraweizo event drew participants from across the region, including Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Togo, Benin Republic, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, among others.
The event’s strong turnout and the frank discussions it fostered reflect a growing recognition that the region’s tourism potential can only be unlocked through collective effort, sustained dialogue, and practical solutions.
As plans for Accraweizo 2026 take shape, stakeholders hope that these partnerships will deepen, paving the way for a truly connected and thriving West African tourism sector.