Abeiku Santana joins elite list of Africa’s travel influencers

Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey Santana, popularly known as Abeiku Santana, has attained a remarkable milestone in tourism after being named among the Top Africa Travel 100 Global Leaders 2024.

At the glamorous awards ceremony at the Eko Hotels Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, Abeiku Santana, who is the Managing Director of Kaya Tours, was honoured for his unwavering commitment to promotion of tourism not only in Ghana but across continents.

Presented by the Akwaaba African Travel Market, the Top Africa Travel 100 Global Leaders initiative recognises and celebrates individuals on the African continent who have made significant contributions to the tourism industry.

After receiving the accolade, Abeiku Santana, popularly referred to as Mr Tourism, expressed his excitement with the recognition and was dedicated to continuing to promote Africa's tourism, which he described as the backbone of many economies.

"Having served the tourism industry for more than two decades, this year has been exciting for me, especially seeing the development in the tourism industry across the continent.

"I have spearheaded many tourism initiatives across the world, and I feel deeply honoured after being named as one of Africa's top tourism experts," he said.

In 2024, the astute radio and TV broadcaster has been invited to participate in several tourism conferences in Africa, including the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum in Namibia and the 8th Swahili International Tourism Expo in Tanzania.

He has also collaborated with Experiential Travel Africa on a successful inbound tour for the African American community.

In Ghana, Abeiku Santana was part of the groundbreaking launch of The Association of Tourist Attractions and Sites Ghana, serving as its founding partner and Deputy Executive Director.

Abeiku Santana's tourism exploits extend beyond Africa, as he was invited to the inaugural United Nations Tourism for Africa and America Summit in the Dominican Republic.

Partnering with the Pan Africa Arts Society in London, he hosted one of the most successful comedy and music shows, Kavod 2024, and collaborated with Telemo Fun Club to bring the Party in the Park experience to London.

He also had the privilege of providing ground handling services for Mastercard and AirBnB’s strategic management team in Ghana under the Big Group and Icily Live from the UK and South Africa.

Abeiku Santana's awards catalogue in tourism includes Tourism CEO of the Year at the 2023 Ghana CEO Awards, Tourism Orientated Media Personality at the 2021 Ghana Tourism Awards, M.I.C.E. Africa 2018 Company of the Year (Kaya Tours) and EMY Africa Special Recognition Award for Tourism Promotion and Marketing (2020, Kaya Tours), among others.