Dr Benjamin Appiah Osei, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), has received a tourism award for the third consecutive year for his work in digital tourism, technology and hospitality education.

Dr Osei was named Digital Tourism Icon 2026 at the Ashanti Regional Tourism Awards held on Friday, 18 September 2026.

The award follows two previous recognitions. In 2024, he was named Digital Tourism Icon at the Ashanti Regional Tourism Awards and, in 2025, received the Tourism Innovation and Technology Award in the Individual Category at the 25th National Tourism Awards organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority.

Dr Osei, who also serves as Examinations Officer and Programme Coordinator in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, combines academic work with digital tourism education and industry engagement.

Through his Tourism and Hospitality for Everyone (TOHFE) initiative and TOHFE Learns with Dr Ben, Dr Osei uses digital platforms to make hospitality and tourism education accessible to audiences beyond the university classroom.

His content covers tourism destinations and attractions, accommodation, food, culture, travel, emerging technologies and career opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry.

The initiative complements his academic research, which includes studies on the use of social media by international tourists in planning and making travel decisions about Ghana. His broader research interests include technology, innovation and transformation in hospitality and tourism.

Dr Osei has also used TOHFE to organise tourism experiences that connect participants with destinations, food, culture and communities in Ghana.

Among the initiatives is the Kumasi Street Food Tour, which uses food and visits to local communities to expose participants to aspects of Kumasi's culture and tourism offerings.

The approach reflects his emphasis on experiential learning, where tourism education extends beyond formal teaching to direct engagement with destinations and communities.

Dr Osei's work focuses on the growing role of technology and digital communication in tourism and hospitality.

Through teaching, research, digital storytelling and industry engagement, he advocates greater use of technology to promote destinations, improve tourism education and broaden public understanding of opportunities in the sector.

His latest recognition completes three consecutive years of tourism awards: Digital Tourism Icon in 2024, Tourism Innovation and Technology Award in 2025, and Digital Tourism Icon in 2026.

The awards recognise a body of work centred on making hospitality and tourism education more accessible while using digital platforms to connect academic knowledge with industry and public engagement.