Brenu Beach Resort: Innovation for financial independence

In August 2001, the New Pat1'iotic Party (NPP) had assumed power in Ghana. One of the reasons for the NPP's success was the promise to invest in and develop the local economy under the slogan 'Golden Age of Business', especially among the private sector community. The change towards a new democratic government resulted in wide-ranging goodwill from the local population, who were expecting a new level of personal and professional freedom in Ghana. The business sector was longing for positive change, as for almost 30 years private businesses had not received significant support from the preceding govenunents. People in the tourism industry were finally encouraged to invest into their innovative business ideas and motivated to start up small enterprises to increase their quality of life. 01'iginality, creativity and appropriateness are generally described as key elements for innovation. While innovation is associated with the introduction of new ideas or concepts, geographers use the expression' coping strategies' when describing innovation under difficult social circumstances (Yaro 2004). In Ghana, for most entrepreneurs in the tourism sector the term hmovation is part of daily life's 'coping', or a constant survival process. People practice innovation to survive in their business envirolunent, and they alter and adapt according to the resources available - a process which, in Ghanaian, is represented by the Akan _ Adinkra twisting symbol JlrkyinkyiIfimearung dynamism and versatility. nil Ghanaians believe that these characteristics underlie the resourcefulness of mankind, and that one changes and adapts as life evolves (Bodomo et al. 2010)