By Hafsa Obeng/Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, Sept. 12, GNA – The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and Wanderlust Ghana have launched a 30,000-kilometre overland expedition to be embarked by the Wanderlust Ghana Expedition Club (WEC), a renowned adventure group.
The group which comprises six members and three vehicles will undertake the journey passing through 31 countries over two months.
The team is expected to set off the expedition on September 30, 2024 and would travel from Accra, Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, DRC, Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and back to Ghana.
At a take-off ceremony in Accra, Mr Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer, GTA expressed GTA’s excitement describing the adventure as a ‘crazy’ one, achievable only by individuals willing to push beyond the ordinary.
“These are the individuals embarking on this crazy journey; I call it crazy because only people with such adventurous spirits can undertake it,” he said.
He added that the partnership marks the beginning of a well-established union saying it is aimed at positioning Ghana firmly on the world map and hopes it would increase arrivals for the upcoming “December in GH” events.
“This partnership is invaluable to the GTA because it places Ghana firmly as a top tourism destination globally. We hope to see more tourists visiting Ghana, especially for our December in GH event,” he said.
Mr Agyeman stated that the GTA aimed to support Wanderlust Ghana in highlighting Africa’s potential as a tourism and investment hub, sharing Ghana’s rich culture, vibrant history, and tourism appeal with the world.
Mr Kwabena Peprah, Leader of Wanderlust Ghana, thanked GTA for the support and other organisations for their support in making the 30-country trip possible.
He said the first 10,000KM trip from Accra to the United Kingdom was just the idea of exploring different parts of the world and putting Ghana on the map as a tourist destination.
“Our first 10,000KM trip from Accra to the United Kingdom was not for publicity or fame, we simply enjoyed the idea of exploring different parts of the world and more importantly putting Ghana on the map.
“For us, this time around, it’s about making Ghana a tourist destination for most foreigners,” he added.
Mr Peprah however, noted that the road ahead was not without challenges saying that car issues were one of the major obstacles that could potentially delay the trip.
Mr Peprah stated that the previous trip, from Accra to London, accumulated global attention, which includes the GTA.
“When we returned to Ghana, GTA contacted us, saying, ‘You did this without informing us, but we would love to partner with you on future trips to showcase Ghana globally.’ It made a lot of sense.” he said.
GNA