By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, May 12, GNA – Mr. Emmanuel Frimpong, a Tourism Consultant and Analyst, has urged tourism authorities to prioritise structural sector development over social media engagement to build a resilient industry.
He said digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube were useful for promotion but should not be mistaken for the foundation of tourism development.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday in Accra, Mr Frimpong said Ghana had gained global visibility through online campaigns, attracting diasporans, adventure seekers, cultural enthusiasts and event travellers.
He, however, stressed that a resilient tourism economy could not be built on likes, trends, hashtags or viral moments alone.
“A sustainable tourism industry is built on infrastructure, product quality, policy consistency, investment readiness, destination management, skills development, accessibility, market intelligence and long-term planning,” he stated.
Mr. Frimpong warned that many emerging destinations, including Ghana, risked confusing publicity with genuine development, explaining that viral destination videos, trending festivals and celebrity endorsements might generate temporary excitement but often failed to improve roads, visitor experiences, job creation, repeat visitation, occupancy rates and tourism receipts.
“A campaign may trend online for a few days, but what remains after the attention fades Tourism development goes beyond episodic campaigns, influencer moments and celebrity-driven narratives,” he said.
Mr. Frimpong cautioned that promoting destinations online without investment in sanitation, transport, safety, service quality and heritage preservation could harm Ghana’s long-term reputation if visitor expectations were not met.
He urged authorities to assess whether tourism sites were visitor-ready, roads accessible, beaches protected, and local communities integrated into tourism value chains.
Mr. Frimpong criticised the growing temptation to prioritise sensationalism through overhyped events, celebrity endorsements, publicity campaigns without planning, and reliance on social media metrics.
“This approach may create short-term attention, but it can also distort priorities and divert resources away from foundational investments,” he said.
Mr Frimpong proposed structural interventions including improved roads, clean beaches, signage, public sanitation, security infrastructure, street lighting, landscaping, and accessible parking.
“We must develop year-round tourism products beyond major festivals and commemorative events, including beach tourism, heritage tourism, ecotourism, community-based tourism, culinary tourism, wellness retreats, medical tourism, educational tourism and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE),” he said.
Mr. Frimpong highlighted the importance of domestic tourism, calling for affordable packages, regional promotion, school programmes, corporate retreats and public education, emphasising skills development: “Even beautiful destinations lose visitors through poor service delivery.”
He called for investment in hospitality training, tour guiding certification, language skills, digital reservations, customer care and destination storytelling, with community participation central to sustainable development.
“Social media can create attention. Only real development can create transformation,” he said, stressing that the sector’s true indicators of success should include occupancy rates, visitor spending, length of stay, repeat visitation, job creation, investment inflows, product diversification and host-community benefits.
Mr. Frimpong said Ghana’s strong tourism foundations included cultural relevance, historical significance, rich heritage, warm hospitality and diaspora connections.
“But foundations alone do not build an industry. Ghana must choose substance over spectacle, development over digital noise, and long-term resilience over short-term sensationalism,” he said.
He said that by focusing on infrastructure, quality products, sound policy, investment and measurable outcomes, Ghana could move from online visibility to becoming a world-class tourism destination in reality.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Hafsa Obeng