Discover Ada: A Hidden Gem for Tourists and Employees Alike

Life gives us so many gifts that we seem not to–is it care about? Or we’re simply not aware? They say life is how you make it. And I totally agree. When it comes to work, for example, it is up to us to make it either fun or a chore.

However, in many or most cases, it doesn’t depend so much on the worker as it is on management. I get so baffled why management always want to remain in their set ways while making life more difficult for themselves and their employees.

This piece is dedicated, first of all to the Ada community and secondly, to all hard-working employees who require a better life.

Enjoy Nature

I was once in a queue at the visa section of one of the embassies in Accra and I hated the inconvenience. My reaction was: Why should you make it so difficult for people to get into this artificial country of yours?

Yes, the world is becoming more and more artificial. Recently, a friend who lived all of her life in Europe saw a goat with its kids for the first time in her life and she was so excited and went like: “Wow, they’re so adorable. Can I pick one in my arms?” Sure, they were! But for us it was kind of funny since we always see them. Right here at Ada while I write in the garden of the guest house where I spent the night, a mango fell from the tree and there’s this foreigner who was so elated about it and went to pick it to eat. Sure, the world is really getting more and more artificial; thanks to the funny thing we call modernization!

Unfortunately, Africa, and for that matter, Ghana is also becoming more artificial. Recently a friend who lives at one of the estate communities called me and while speaking on the phone a cock crowed from a near-by house and when she heard it in the background she said: “I can’t remember when I last heard that!”

It is, therefore, a delight to come to a place like Ada and while writing here the songs and chirps of birds and the coos of doves fill the air. But the is leads us to a question: “What are we doing with our tourist sites?

A Brief History

The people of Ada along with the Gas as a people migrated through Togo (where they encountered the wicked king Agorkorli and decided it escape) from Nigeria. As they continued their journey, they met the man Agorkpo who helped those we now know as the Adas to cross the river and heartily gave them the land they live on now. Any wonder why they say Adas and Ewes are cousins?

Ada is a rich place; bounded on the south by the Gulf of Guinea and on the East by the Volta River. Very striking is the Estuary where the Volta enters the sea. Blessed with several islands, flora and fauna, the estuary is home to some very unique birds.

Tourist Sites

Ada used to be the bastion of commercial activity before the creation of the Tema Harbour. It is no wonder then that apart from being a slave route with dungeons (parts now eroded by the sea) Ada was the meeting place between the GCPP and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah when the latter was invited by the former from his sojourn in the UK to join the struggle for independence. The rest is now history.

The estuary is the main tourist attraction. But apart from that, there is also the Songor lagoon, a natural salt lagoon. It’s an awesome place to see. There is also the Asafotufiam Festival which over the years has become one of the best festivals in Ghana. The Volta River also affords a lot of water sport such as boating and skiing.

In all, the people especially are those that make what Ada is today. Very accommodating of anyone who wishes to reside with them, there are clans that were originally formed by people of other ethnicities but who have become bona-fide Adas. That has added to the beauty of the culture and traditions of the people, which explains why Ada Is Home for All!

Domestic Tourism

Apart from Ada, there are many other beautiful and exciting tourist attractions throughout Ghana. These afford opportunities for business start-ups. Many unemployed people can take it upon themselves to create businesses and jobs out of these potentials. However, to be successful in doing so, they need to make the following adjustments:

Respect for Culture: The culture of a people is the embodiment of their history, nature, beliefs, traditions, customs, language and practices. For one to create opportunities out of tourist sites, it is important that they learn the culture of the people. By researching and getting to know the people and why they do what they do, both indigenes and settlers can come to appreciate and respect them deeply. Out of that deep respect, it will become easier to really get to develop a package for tourists that can truly benefit both tourists and the people.

Encourage Domestic Tourism: An entrepreneur that wishes to enter the tour business should himself be a tourist. When he tours both his own home and other places in the country, he will more fully come to have a better understanding of himself and others. And this passion would inevitably encourage him to promote domestic tourism since he will have great information to share that can excite the senses of tourists.

Seek Community Interests First: Altruism is always an excellent policy. When a tourism entrepreneur gets to know the people in the community, the well-being of the inhabitants should be the most important factor that encourages him to start-up. Seek to find out what will be in the interest of all and strive to make that the main incentive for your business.

Sure, you must make money to keep your business thriving. However, when you make that the most important consideration it would deprive the entrepreneur of the opportunity to create great businesses that emanate from the will to help the community.

Benefits of Tourism

Developing the tourism potential of communities is very helpful in many ways. One of these is job creation. Successive governments have in recent years extended electricity and potable water to many communities, some of which have tourism potential. However, invariably, these resources are not effectively harnessed to resolve the rural-urban drift. It is, therefore, necessary for local entrepreneurs and others to figure out how best to utilize these amenities for job creation in order to help the youth to remain at home comfortably.

Also, apart from direct job creation, there is also indirect job creation that springs from things that tourists would need while staying and providing these.

In spite of all the great benefits from tourism there are also some down-sides such as the introduction of some anti-social behaviors and habits. That being the case, stakeholders would need to pool energies and minds to find the best possible ways to reduce those effect or even eliminate them altogether.

Combating such effects cannot be effectively handled by just one or few persons and institutions. With a collaborative effort, many would be roped in to help with achieving the desired outcome.

By adopting modern technology and management practice, management can also make life easier for itself and employees. When employees have the opportunity to tour or even work from anywhere, it would boost their morale and enable them work more effectively and efficiently. This is because their minds are more relaxed and their time flexible.

Encouraging tourism would also help to develop the sector and make it more attractive to foreign tourists and investors.

The Author is CEO/Managing Partner at Soleil Consults; Management, Strategy & ICT Consultants (www.soleilvision.com).