Confederation of Private (Sector) Organizations of Tourism in ECOWAS (COPITOUR) is the long-awaited answer to anxieties of collaboration among the West African countries.
Let us take a headcount of these countries, some English-speaking and others French-speaking, with different regional, socioeconomic and political alliances and allegiance, yet the same black face and blood. Some pundits say difference in tongues within the same regional bloc slows down tourism economic recovery and collaboration. 
Let us first count how we are, I mean the ECOWAS tourism power states. Niger, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Benin, Liberia, Ghana, Chad, The Gambia and Burkina Faso.
Well counted? Now, the simple aspect of the protocols, which many people in the industry, possibly assess is freedom of movement, pegged at 90 days without visa, yet the huge needs and presence of the industry suffer neglect and confusion from interpretation at the various border posts by almighty Customs and Immigration authorities of all the countries.
Now, the COPITOUR says the industry needs a proper market appraisal within and as spelt out by the treaty among member nations, signed on May 28, 1975.
Certainly, you don’t need to be a diplomat to know that the treaty is shaky on many fronts, particularly on culture and tourism components, with regard to technology, logistics, taxes, levies and investment in the hospitality industry and ownership of arts and crafts, galleries and transportation.
Industry success stories are usually border-restricted and frustrated in sister members’ environment.
Mamadou Raccine, a frontline hotelier (hotel owners have always led everywhere), Mayor of Senegal, leads the West Coast Confederation campaign, standing for the French-speaking countries and all, while Ghana picked the English-speaking slot in the absence of Nigeria about two years ago, when the behemoth private movement reared its head.
At its post-COVID meeting held in Cote d’Ivoire last week and attended by Nigeria’s reformed and recalibrated Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), ably represented by its president, Mr. Nkereweum Onung, the organisation felt the presence, and remarkable brilliance and broader perspective of Onung.
Since he came on board almost a year ago, Onung has brought new narratives to tourism, repositioned the sector, though there are miles still to go, and had left tourism battles to small people.
Honoured at the Abidjan meeting with a strategic portfolio as the organisation’s director, legal affairs and institutional relations, Onung, no doubt, is in a vintage position to interrogate, connect and fuse together the biggest West Coast corporate tourism industry Armanda, powering a powerful, verifiable socioeconomic awakening in the ECOWAS region.
On a recent trip to South Africa, it could be seen how the Madiba nation, systematically connects the Southern Africa region, pushing its futuristic collaboration agenda, the West Coast, with Nigeria and Ghana on radar, signalling to the private sector to grab the gains of tourism and leave spoilers at the border post.
Now, to those who may wish to join hands with representatives of each private sector body under the confederation, it is pointedly important to ask ourselves, what are the major problems troubling West African tourism?
For instance, do our service providers comply with regulations expected in the areas of operation? How many of our investors and investments are in manmade and nature-based economic activities? Do our services rate or, particularly our hospitality sector, match global ranking? And our products(?) are they competitive and dynamic to meet changing needs of tourists? Are our public authorities in tune with these expectations?
Anyway, and you must excuse me, South Africa rankED top in African visits to its diverse destination offerings at 86 per cent before COVID, possibly leading the continent to a global acknowledgement to birth the highest tourism growth rate among all regions of the world.
Sadly, in this high growth rate in international tourist arrivals, the ECOWAS region is on marginal scale compared with South and North Africa.
Lessons: Our largely dependence on international visitors, particularly the British and Americans, makes ECOWAS tourism destinations vulnerable and only the Africa-to-Africa tourism consciousness as championed by Mrs. Susan Akporiaye of Nigeria’s National Association of Travel Agencies can make a difference. Indeed, Onung is on the right path and one prays that this ECOWAS private sector response can in no distant time, make a difference.