The Chief Executive officer of Hausa Tours, Fuseini Nawaru has expressed concern that Ghana’s $260 e-visa fee is undermining the country’s efforts to attract international tourists and making it one of the least competitive destinations in Africa
The award-winning tour guide and tourism entrepreneur Fuseini Nawaru in an open letter addressed to President John Dramani Mahama, described the current visa pricing as a major obstacle to tourism growth, urging the government to urgently review the policy.
Mr. Nawaru argued that while Ghana is positioning itself as a leading tourism destination in West Africa, the country’s e-visa fee remains significantly higher than those charged by many competing African and Caribbean destinations.
According to him, travellers planning holidays increasingly compare the total cost of visiting destinations before making their decisions, with visa charges playing a critical role.
“Ghana’s high visa fee is discouraging potential visitors at a time when other countries are making travel more affordable and accessible,” he stated.
He noted that Ghana currently charges $260 for an e-visa, compared to Kenya ($30), Tanzania ($50), Rwanda ($50), Benin ($50), Ethiopia ($52), Cape Verde ($33), Senegal ($54), Togo ($42–$70), Côte d’Ivoire ($73), Zambia ($25–$50), and Zimbabwe ($30). Several Caribbean destinations, including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, also offer visa-free access to many nationalities.
The tourism expert warned that such a wide gap in visa costs places Ghana at a competitive disadvantage, especially as travellers seeking African experiences may choose neighbouring countries with similar attractions but lower entry costs.
“As a stakeholder in the tourism sector, I believe a more balanced and competitive visa pricing policy would attract more visitors, increase tourism receipts, create jobs, and ultimately generate greater economic benefits for Ghana,” he wrote.
Mr. Nawaru maintained that lowering the visa fee would not necessarily reduce government revenue but could instead increase tourist arrivals, hotel occupancy, spending on local businesses and tax revenue generated from tourism activities.
He therefore called on the Mahama administration to engage industry players in reviewing the country’s visa policy to align it with regional and global tourism trends.
“I respectfully appeal to the government to engage industry stakeholders and consider a review of the current e-visa pricing in the interest of growing our tourism sector and strengthening Ghana’s position as a preferred destination in West Africa,” he appealed.
Copies of the letter were forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the Ghana Tourism Authority, and the Ghana Tourism Forum.
Tourism stakeholders have long argued that reducing barriers to entry, including visa costs, is essential if Ghana is to realise its ambition of becoming a premier tourism hub and capitalise on initiatives aimed at attracting visitors from across the African continent and the diaspora.
Ghana’s tourism sector attracted GHS15.42 billion from 901,448 international visitors between the last quarter of 2022 and the third quarter of 2023,according to Ghana Statistical Service via the Ghana International Travellers’ Survey.
The breakground include total Inbound visitors accounting 901,448 while overnight visitors constituted 888,584 people (98.6%) contributing GHS15.18 billion.Same-Day Visitors also constitute 12,864 people contributing GHS24 million.
The data explained that main travel Purposes included visiting friends and relatives, followed by business and leisure.Popular Sites & DemographicsTop Attractions: Cape Coast Castle, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, National Museum, Independence Square, and the Bisa Abrewa Museum.
Source : Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
