GTA CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto Accepts Vice Chair Role of African Travel Commission

Mrs. Maame Efua Houadjeto, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has officially accepted her appointment as Vice Chair of the African Travel Commission (ATC), reinforcing Ghana’s commitment to promoting tourism integration and sustainable development across the continent.

Her acceptance was announced during a high-level strategic meeting with the leadership of the African Travel Commission on the sidelines of the 2026 Hotel Managers Conference (HMC), held from July 11 to 12 at the Lagos Continental Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria.

The meeting brought together key tourism leaders, including Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) and Chairman of the African Travel Commission, Mr. Olayiwola Awakan, Executive Director of the ATC, Dr. Lucky Onoriode George, and Board Member, Prof. Wasiu Babalola.

Speaking after accepting the appointment, Mrs. Houadjeto expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in her, describing the role as both an honour and a great responsibility. She pledged to work closely with the Commission’s leadership and tourism stakeholders across Africa to strengthen regional partnerships, encourage collaboration, and advance the continent’s tourism agenda.

She highlighted Ghana’s historic role as the host of Africa’s oldest travel and tourism organisation, the African Travel Commission, saying the country’s legacy places a responsibility on it to continue championing regional integration and sustainable tourism development.

Mrs. Houadjeto said one of her priorities as Vice Chair would be to bridge the gap between West Africa and other regions of the continent while promoting stronger cooperation among African countries. According to her, greater collaboration will boost intra-African travel, attract investment, create jobs, and drive sustainable economic growth through tourism.

Chairman of the African Travel Commission, Mr. Olayiwola Awakan, welcomed her acceptance of the appointment, describing it as a significant step toward strengthening the Commission’s vision for a more united African tourism industry.

He praised Ghana’s longstanding contribution to tourism development in Africa and expressed confidence that Mrs. Houadjeto’s experience and leadership would add value to the Commission.

“Ghana has always played an important role in African tourism, and I am confident that with Mrs. Houadjeto serving as Vice Chair, the Commission will benefit immensely from her experience and leadership. Ghana, West Africa, and indeed the entire continent stand to gain when we work together towards common goals,” he said.

Executive Director of the African Travel Commission, Dr. Lucky Onoriode George, also described Mrs. Houadjeto’s acceptance as a major milestone in the Commission’s revitalisation efforts and a reaffirmation of Ghana’s historic leadership as one of the ATC’s founding members.

He noted that Ghana’s active role in the Commission’s leadership would help advance the organisation’s vision of building a more united, competitive, and globally recognised African tourism industry.

Dr. George added that the Commission remains committed to strengthening partnerships among governments, the private sector, development partners, and tourism stakeholders to accelerate tourism growth, improve air connectivity, encourage research and innovation, attract investment, and position Africa as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.

The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by participants to promote a shared continental tourism agenda through strategic partnerships, regional integration, and sustainable development. They expressed confidence that Ghana’s leadership within the African Travel Commission would further support efforts to drive inclusive and sustainable tourism growth across Africa.