Francis Eric Amuquandoh

Hotel characteristics and location decisions in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract This study identified and assessed the differences in the extent to which location factors were considered by hotel owners based on certain characteristics of their hotels in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The behavioural thought on industrial location decisions was used as a framework to identify and assess hotel owners’ location decisions. Data on hotel location decisions were collected from 153 hotel owners in the Kumasi Metropolis and analysed with the chi-square test of independence. It was found that the extent to which location factors such as economic, neighbourhood characteristics, physical site characteristics, laws and regulations, socio-cultural and transport factors considered by hotel owners differed by hotel location, hotel category, ownership, age of hotel and the number of rooms in a hotel. Hotel location factors are considered differently based on hotel characteristics.

Traditional food preferences of tourists in Ghana

Purpose – Individuals including tourists are known to be selective as to what they consider as appropriate food. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the traditional foods consumed by international tourists during their stay in Ghana, using the Analytical Hierarchical Process Model.Design/methodology/approach – The data used for the study were collected from a random sample of 675 out‐bound international tourists in Ghana at the departure lounge of the Kotoka International Airport between February and March, 2010.Findings – In total, 17 traditional foods were popular among Ghanas international tourists, with red red being the most favoured food whilst impotupotu was the least preferred food. It was concluded that Ghana has the potential to have a thriving local food industry that could be based on the seven topmost foods.Research limitations/implications – As the first description of traditional food preferences among Ghanas international visitors, this study is intended to provide a strong point for...

An investigation into the experiences of international volunteer tourists in Ghana.

The expectation of a memorable experience is one of the elements that motivate volunteers to travel. Experience has however remained an elusive and complex phenomenon subject to multiple interpretations. There is a lack of common language to explain the volunteer tourists experience. This study explores the experiences of volunteer tourists to Ghana using the Memorable Tourism Experience (MTE) theory. The results from a survey of 336 international volunteer tourists suggest that experiences are largely tied to social, cultural and tourism attributes of the destination. Such experiences may be positive or negative.

Who Benefits from Community-based Ecotourism Development? Insights from Tafi Atome, Ghana

Abstract The distribution of ecotourisms benefits plays a critical role in ensuring sustainable community support for ecotourism projects. This paper explores benefits that have accrued from an ecotourism project and examines the distribution process of these related benefits in Tafi Atome, a rural community in Ghana. Data were obtained from a study conducted between November and December 2010 in the community using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Findings from the study indicated that the benefits from the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary project to the community were communal and personal in nature. However, the monkey sanctuarys constitution, which stipulates the distribution and management of benefits, had not made provision for non-indigenous residents. It is therefore recommended that modifications be made to the projects constitution to address these inconsistencies in order to forestall conflicts in the community.

Are we indeed what we eat? Street food consumption in the Market Circle area of Takoradi, Ghana:

The paper examines street foods consumption in the Market Circle of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. The data used for the study were obtained from individuals who were either purchasing or consuming street foods in the Market Circle in August of 2011. The results revealed that the average consumer makes use of street foods six times in a week and there was a penchant for carbohydrate based foods over other types of street foods. Reasons including cost saving, convenience and eating on credit were noted to underlie the consumption of street foods in the area. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the high consumption of street foods in the Market Circle was for reasons other than nutrition and health.

A structural decompositional analysis of eco-visitors’ motivations, satisfaction and post-purchase behaviour

ABSTRACT A series of studies have demonstrated the relevance of visitors’ motivation, satisfaction and post-consumption behaviour to sustainable management of attractions, but existing knowledge on the intricate causal relationships among these issues in the context of eco-tourism is limited. Using data from 342 visitors to the Kakum National Park in Ghana and a structural equation modelling approach, this study advances understanding of the intersecting relationships, both at aggregate and at disaggregate levels, among eco-visitors’ motivation, satisfaction and future behaviour. The ensued results not only confirm but also offer unique insights into the hypothesis that specific expectations, which are mirrored in travel motivations, matter to specific satisfaction evaluations with consumptions experiences and downstream effects on future behaviour. However, these causal relationships are not uniform after controlling for eco-visitors’ sex, educational attainment and marital status. Implications of the results to theory and sustainable practice in eco-tourism settings have been discussed.