Gideon Asare, CEO of Adansi Travels, is calling on Ghana’s tourism stakeholders to intensify efforts to attract visitors from Nigeria, one of the country’s key source markets.
In an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Asare shared insights from the Ghana Tourism Authority’s 2024 report, emphasizing the growing gap in tourist arrivals between the United States and Nigeria.
“Over the past few years, our top three source markets have been the US, UK, and Nigeria. But the gap between the US and Nigeria keeps widening,” he said. “Before the pandemic, Nigeria was catching up, but that momentum has slowed.”
Although Ghana recorded a 25% increase in Nigerian arrivals in 2023, Asare believes the country has yet to fully capitalize on Nigeria’s potential as a tourism goldmine.
“Nigeria is just a one-hour flight away and has a population of over 200 million. If we channel even a quarter of the marketing we do in the US to Nigeria, the results could be significant,” Asare stated.
The Ghana Tourism Authority’s 2024 report shows Ghana welcomed 1,288,804 international visitors, marking a 12% growth from the previous year. The United States led with 137,862 visitors, followed by Nigeria (111,581) and the United Kingdom (52,845).
While these figures indicate growth, Asare insists that Nigeria’s proximity and cultural ties to Ghana make it an ideal market for expansion. He is urging tourism leaders to take a more strategic and targeted approach to engage Nigerian travelers.
Under Asare’s leadership, Adansi Travels has grown into one of Ghana’s most respected travel and tour agencies. The company promotes both domestic and international tourism, helping thousands of Ghanaians and foreigners explore destinations in and outside the country.
As a leading voice in the tourism sector, Asare continues to advocate for innovative marketing, regional collaborations, and policy support to make Ghana a stronger player in the African tourism market.
His recent remarks add to the national conversation about how Ghana can deepen its influence within West Africa’s travel economy, especially by leveraging its close relationship with Nigeria.