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14.12.2014 Opinion

Why Tamale Has Become Ghana's Best Host For Conferences

By Mohammed Abdul Rashid
Why Tamale Has Become Ghana's Best Host For Conferences
14.12.2014 LISTEN

Visit Downtown Tamale today and you will see that the city is awashed with all manner of banners and posters for conferences and events billed to be held in Ghana's third most populous city and the largest by land size.

Religious, businesses, student association, civil society and other national group have suddenly found Tamale as the best place to host their conferences and other annual or biennial meetings.

Tamale , apart from being Ghana's third city, it is also the fastest growing city in West Africa ahead of Lagos. The City of Tamale often referred to as "The City of Many Colours " has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years.

Transportation, hospitality and tourism in Tamale have all improved tremendously during the Afcon in 2008 and since then several additions have been made. Such additions includes hotels, catering houses, car rentals, coffee shops, nite clubs among others.

Just last week , I was among a team organising a national conference for a particular association in Ghana. Getting accommodation around Agric Ridge became a herculian task because about Ten different groupings had booked hotels around that area for their annual conferences. It was no surprise to me , because most of the big players in the hospitality industry are concentrated around the Agric Ridge and Gumani enclaves.

Places around the Nim Avenue and Waterson areas also enjoyed considerable patronage that week. Most of the rooms were booked but hotel managers around this vicinity managed to secure us some place for our guest who travelled from all parts of the country.

The question is, why has become a toast of most organizations intending to have their annual conferences? This was the question I put one player in the hospitality sector. According to him Tamale has become the referred host of events because of the improved aviation industry. It takes just an hour or less to fly down to Tamale and while in Tamale you escape the hustle and bustle of the City of Accra, he said.

He added that the Tamale has the capacity to host any event of any size including an Olympics because the hotels are springing up from almost every corner and that within the next decade Tamale could compete with Accra in hosting in International and high profile events.

The many tourist attractions around Tamale is also one of the major reasons for the influx of tourist and other visitors to the city. The Mole Game Reserve,The Laribanga Stone and Mosque, Tamale Forest Grooves among many others are the attraction around this ancient city.

The government must therefore expedite action on the proposed Tamale Convention Centre project. Like the one in Kigali which has a conference facility of about twenty thousand seating capacity with accommodation and other out door games facilities. The project in my opinion should be around the soon to be completed Tamale International Airport or Kwame Nkrumah International Airport as has been suggested. In that way high profile events to be organised in future Will not worry motorists unduly because international guest and other people flying to the city Will simply have to move to the Convention Centre from the Airport without obstructing traffic in the city's business district.

Naa Zangina Zuu II
0204425730

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