Omanghana
Jamaican tourism entrepreneur Roy Page has held discussions with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) on developing community businesses and strengthening cultural exchanges between Ghana and the Caribbean.
Page, the Chief Executive Officer of Asterix Tourism Services Limited, met GTA Deputy Chief Executive Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey and other management representatives during his two-week working visit to Ghana. Paga, in the Upper East Region, has been selected as the first beneficiary community under the proposed initiative.
The program draws on the Countrystyle Community Tourism Network’s approach to treating villages as businesses. It seeks to help residents turn local knowledge, cultural heritage and community resources into income-generating opportunities.
Page explained that his ambition extends beyond attracting visitors, with an emphasis on enabling residents to participate directly in local economic development.
He also outlined a proposed cultural exchange program, “Know Thyself,” involving reciprocal visits by 100 Jamaicans and 100 Ghanaians. Participants would engage with traditional leaders and communities through activities centered on music, history and culture.
According to Page, Ghana and Jamaica would serve as the starting point for a model that could eventually expand across Africa and the Caribbean. He said discussions with airlines were underway to explore charter flights for the exchange.
GTA representatives expressed their willingness to collaborate with his organization on the initiative, which aims to connect tourism with community enterprise and closer diaspora relationships.
Source: Omanghana
