The challenges facing West African borders are not just about protocols but implementation, thus, to have regular migration, it is imperative that implementation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols works – there should not be impediment.

  Those were the words of the Director, Private Sector, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Tony Elumelu who represented the President, ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, during the West African Travel Expos 2025, the ‘8th Accra Weizo’ organised by Akwaaba African Travel Market in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority at the Accra City Hotel, Accra, Ghana, recently.

 Reiterating this year’s Accra Weizo theme: ‘Seamless Travel in West Africa: Opportunities and Challenge’, Elumelu noted that ECOWAS has done well in its responsibility of making policies to enhance seamless travels, promote trade and cultural exchanges across the region, however the challenge is enforcement within the member states.

He, however, assured that the commission would go back to the drawing board and see how to curb all of the menaces impeding free movement in the region.

  The organiser of Accra Weizo and Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, who noted that Accra Weizo was established as a platform to boost travel and tourism in West Africa, emphasised the importance of a borderless ECOWAS region.

  The CEO Ghana Tourism Authority, Maame Efua Houadjeto, who commended Uko for creating a great platform as Accra Weizo, which unites minds, people and destinations, in her keynote, themed: ‘Re Imagining the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol’, said: “The future of tourism in Ghana is bold and intentionally integrated fully into the national agenda. The future of West African tourism must be people centred. Tourism must work for the people and the people. In building this future, sustainability must be our path. We must support community-based tourism. Let us place tourism at the heart of tourism and make traveling within the continent easy for travelers. The conversation here is transformational, re-imagining the role of tourism to shape a more prosperous West Africa. A seamless tourism is people-oriented, environmentally focused, with commitment by all stakeholders, especially governments to remove bottlenecks such as visa issues, expensive flights rate, poor roads, high taxes, infrastructure, etc.”

The expo featured high profile industry stakeholders within and outside the region who all found a common ground on the necessity to put words into action, starting with ECOWAS putting their money where their mouth is for seamless travel to aid tourism products and impact the region’s economy.

  The CEO, Ghana Tourism Development Company, Professor Kobby Mensah, who also commended Uko’s boldness at tackling the industry challenges, emphasised the need for industry stakeholders to adapt boldness in the face of obstacles to move tourism within the ECOWAS region forward.

  The event also featured a panel session moderated by the CEO, GOTA Travels, Benin Republic, Olanma Ojukwu where the panelists who were prominent stakeholders from across the region spoke on the necessity for collaborations both in the private sector and governments across the region.

  President, Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Bolaji Mustapha, one of the panelists said: “What we need is collaboration not competition within the region – this is how we unite, and this is how we grow the travel and tourism in the continent.”

  The expo also witnessed awards presented to organisations and individuals for their contributions to tourism development in ECOWAS. Balafon Awards of Excellence was presented to ECOWAS for promoting seamless travel in West Africa, while Royal Senchi Resort emerged the Best Resort in West Africa.

  Other awardees are: Accra City Hotel, Door Steps Travel & Tour Ltd, Nigeria, Erad Tourism Senegal, GOTA Voyage Benin Republic, Jessica Travels, Kaya Tours, Doddy Travels, Adansi Travels, Goge Africa, among others.