There is a strong push for a deliberate national policy to rope in more young women into the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Industry experts are promoting female entrepreneurship to expand job creation and accelerate national economic growth.

In celebrating the International Day for the Girl Child, Good Governance Africa, a non-profit organization, has exposed young women in the Ashanti region to some benefits of venturing into the hospitality and tourism sectors of the economy.

The Africa Girl Child’s dialogue is an annual event organized by Good Governance Africa to expose young girls into career development for national growth.

This 2025 edition of the event assembled girls from various senior high schools in the Ashanti region.

Speaking at the event, Lecturer at the Planning Department of KNUST, Prof. Theresa Yaaba Baah-Ennumh, described tourism and hospitality as one of Ghana’s most underutilized economic assets.

She explained that the sector is capable of engaging thousands of young women in productive and innovative ventures.

She noted that as women form the majority of Ghana’s population, integrating more girls into the tourism value chain would not only strengthen the private sector but also reduce pressure on public employment.

“The sector offers a wide range of economic opportunities from local craft production and catering services to event management and cultural promotion. These are potential income-generating activities that can be scaled to access regional and global markets,” she said.

Prof. Baah-Ennumh added that when adequately supported through training, financing, and entrepreneurship programs, young women could become major contributors to Ghana’s non-traditional export base, particularly in the creative and cultural economy.

She, therefore, urged the government to move beyond advocacy and invest directly in scholarships, mentorships, and technical partnerships to help women acquire globally competitive skills.

Deputy Director at the Quality Assurance Unit of the Ghana Tourism Authority in Ashanti region, Abena Amo, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to promoting gender equality and ensuring safety within Ghana’s tourism landscape.

“The Ghana Tourism Authority wants to promote tourism and also promote equality. It’s not just about seeing men all over, we want women to move along with them,” she said. “That is why we are setting up tourist clubs in female secondary schools to get young girls interested in the sector. We are also running capacity-building programs to help women move up the ladder.”

She noted that while women dominate lower-level hospitality jobs, the Authority wants to see them take on more leadership roles.

“We are yet to see a female general manager of a five-star hotel, and we believe with the right support, that can change,” she said.

Research, Training and Advocacy Lead at Good Governance Africa, Edward Teye Sarpong, explained the 2025 Africa Girl Child Dialogue focused on tourism and hospitality because of its potential to diversify Ghana’s economic base and build resilient, women led enterprises.

“The idea is to broaden the scope of economic participation by equipping girls with the mindset and capacity to build businesses in sectors that are often overlooked,” he said. “When more women enter these industries, we stimulate local production, create jobs, and enhance Ghana’s GDP performance through expanded tax and export contributions.”

He emphasized that empowering girls with practical and market-oriented skills is crucial to building a competitive and inclusive economy that reflects the potential of Ghana’s young female workforce.