GTA develops animal welfare policy to promote responsible tourism

The Ghana Tourism Authority is engaging stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industry on a proposed National Animal Welfare Policy aimed at promoting responsible tourism and protecting animals used for tourism purposes.

The policy is expected to guide the treatment of wild animals kept in captivity at tourist attractions, as well as promote responsible sourcing of animal products by hotels and restaurants.

Director of product development and investment at the GTA, Alexander Kwame Nketia, says reports of animal cruelty at some tourism facilities have heightened the need for clear guidelines to protect animals and improve Ghana’s image as a responsible tourism destination.

“Animals are part of the ecosystem within which tourism operates. We need to ensure that, in the way we protect other aspects of the tourism space, we also protect the animals that form part of the foundation of tourism,” he said.

Mr. Nketiah says the proposed policy will cover animals such as monkeys, ostriches and peacocks kept in captivity for tourism purposes.

He cited reports of animals being restrained under conditions that cause injuries, raising concerns about their welfare.

“If you go and see a monkey with a chain around its waist, and the chain is so tight that it is cutting into the skin, these are things we need to look at.”

The GTA is also considering measures to encourage hotels and restaurants to ensure that meat, poultry, eggs and other animal products are sourced responsibly and in accordance with existing laws and regulations.

Mr. Nketiah says research cited by the Authority indicates that about 71 percent of people interviewed in major cities and hotels are willing to patronise tourism facilities that treat animals humanely.

“About 71 percent of people interviewed have indicated that they are more than willing to consider hotels, restaurants and tourism facilities that are animal-friendly. So why don't we align ourselves with that?”

He believes the policy could improve animal protection while strengthening Ghana’s reputation and competitiveness in the global tourism industry.

Senior Communications Lead of the Animal Welfare League, Dr. Emmanuel Nyamekye, advocated for greater stakeholder involvement in promoting responsible animal care.

He explained that animal welfare goes beyond the physical condition of animals to include their mental well-being and their ability to cope with the conditions in which they are raised.

“Animals are sentient beings, meaning they have the capacity to feel pain, experience suffering, and go through stress. As humans, whenever we have animals in our care, we have a responsibility to take good care of them.”

Dr. Nyamekye noted that although awareness of animal welfare is growing, more public education is needed to help Ghanaians understand the importance of humane treatment.

He said many people may not deliberately mistreat animals but could be unaware of the appropriate ways to handle and care for them.

“Sometimes, Ghanaians are not necessarily careless about how they treat animals. They just probably do not know. We believe awareness creation is one of the ways to keep people informed about animal welfare issues.”

He also commended farmers for their willingness to learn and adopt better practices, urging the media to give greater attention to animal welfare issues, particularly on farms and within animal production systems.

Dr. Nyamekye further called for effective laws and guidelines to protect animals, stressing that the objective should be to promote compliance with accepted standards rather than simply punish offenders

“We think animals should be protected, not necessarily only through the law with the intention to jail people, but in a way that aligns with procedures and protocols. We strongly believe that animals fall under the category of the vulnerable and should be protected,” he stated.