Sustainable Tourism Development in a Coastal Destination: The Case of Busua and the Asa Baako Festival, Ghana

Abstract

Nicholas Imbeah and George Tandoh

This study examines perceived economic sustainability and vendor/SME support at the Asa Baako Festival in Busua, Ghana. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey grounded in stakeholder theory, data were collected from 297 respondents through purposive sampling. Two scales, Economic Sustainability and Vendor/SME Support, showed good internal consistency (α = .835 and .770) and were largely empirically distinct per exploratory factor analysis. Perceptions on both scales were moderately positive, with the festival's contribution to local economic opportunity rated highest and organiser- rovided support for entrepreneurs rated lowest. Economic sustainability perceptions differed modestly by stakeholder role, while vendor/SME support perceptions did not differ by role, indicating a broadly shared view among attendees, vendors, organisers, and residents. Participation frequency was unrelated to economic sustainability perceptions but was significantly associated with vendor support, with respondents attending four to five times rating it most favourably. Regression analysis showed vendor/SME support significantly predicted perceived economic sustainability, explaining about 24% of its variance. These findings suggest vendor and SME support is closely linked to how stakeholders judge the festival's economic sustainability, pointing to structured vendor development and clearer financial transparency as areas for improvement. As the first of a three-part assessment, this paper contributes Ghana-specific empirical evidence to the festival tourism literature.

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