The KNUST academic using education, technology and digital storytelling to make hospitality and tourism accessible to all. For Dr. Benjamin Appiah Osei, tourism is more than a profession. It is a platform for education, cultural discovery, economic opportunity and human connection.

A Senior Lecturer in Hospitality and Tourism Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Osei has built a professional identity that bridges academia, tourism advocacy, technology and practical industry engagement. KNUST lists him among the faculty of its Department of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, where he also serves as Examination Officer and Programme’s coordinator.

His growing contribution to the industry has earned him three tourism awards in three consecutive years.

In 2024, he was recognised as Digital Tourism Icon at the Ashanti Regional Tourism Awards. In 2025, he received the Tourism Innovation & Technology Award (Individual Category) at the 25th National Tourism Awards organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority. KNUST said the national recognition reflected his contributions to tourism technology, digital hospitality education and community-focused learning through his Tourism & Hospitality for Everyone (TOHFE) initiative and TOHFE Learns with Dr Ben.

On Friday, September 18, 2026, he returned to the Ashanti Regional Tourism Awards to receive the Digital Tourism Icon 2026 honour, further extending a remarkable three-year sequence of recognition in tourism.

Taking tourism beyond the classroom

Dr Osei’s passion extends beyond teaching and research. Through TOHFE, he seeks to make hospitality and tourism education accessible to a wider audience, while his social media platforms use short-form digital storytelling to introduce audiences to different dimensions of the industry.

His content covers destinations, attractions, hotels, food, culture, travel concepts, tourism education, emerging technologies and the many career opportunities within hospitality and tourism.

This digital focus is also consistent with his academic work. His published research has examined how international tourists use social media in planning and making travel decisions about Ghana, while his wider scholarship explores technology, innovation and transformation within hospitality and tourism.

From digital storytelling to real experiences

His tourism advocacy also takes people beyond their screens.

Through TOHFE, Dr. Osei has spearheaded tourism experiences and tours designed to connect participants with Ghanaian destinations, food, culture and communities. Initiatives such as the Kumasi Street Food Tour reflect his belief that tourism education can happen through direct experience — by travelling, tasting, discovering and engaging with the stories behind Ghana’s tourism resources.

For him, promoting tourism is therefore not simply about telling people where to go. It is about helping them understand why these places, experiences, people and cultural resources matter.

A vision for the future

At the centre of Dr. Osei’s work is a simple but ambitious vision: to make hospitality and tourism known to all.

He believes Ghana’s tourism industry can benefit from stronger digital engagement, innovative approaches, experiential learning and greater public appreciation of the opportunities within the sector.

As technology continues to reshape tourism and hospitality, his goal is to remain part of that transformation — through research, teaching, digital education, tourism experiences and industry engagement.

His three consecutive tourism awards — Digital Tourism Icon (2024), Tourism Innovation & Technology Award (2025), and Digital Tourism Icon 2026 — represent milestones in that journey.

But beyond the trophies is an academic and tourism advocate committed to one enduring idea: tourism should not only be studied; it should be understood, experienced, shared and made accessible to everyone.