Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, says 2019 was a good year for the country’s tourism sector; however such gains have almost been eroded by emergence of the novel corona virus pandemic.
According to the minister, in 2019, over a million visitors were in Ghana and that includes the Year of Return project, with each tourist spending averagely $ 2931 dollars. These cover spending on hotel accommodations, visits to tourists’ sites, restaurants, purchases of artifacts, car rentals among others.
Mrs. Oteng Gyasi at a presser in Accra stated that between March and June this year, Ghana’s tourism and hospitality industry, by an initial assessment, had lost over $170 million due to the effects of the novel corona virus.
She however said that in spite of the industry being one of the severely impacted by the covid-19, the sector would receive a boost soon, as government through a package from the World Bank, provide stimulus for the industry to get back on its fit.
Outlining safety guidelines for industry players such as hotels, eateries, restaurants as well as event organizers, following the easing of restrictions by the President; the Minister tasked operators to strictly adhere to the covid-19 protocols such as – “no mask no entry,” social distancing, reducing by half client numbers and regularly sanitizing their facilities to avoiding the virus spread.
The Tourism minister announced that night clubs and drinking bars across the country remain closed explaining; “the decision is based on the high-level socialization that takes place in drinking bars and night clubs.”
Source: Source: Nelson Adanuti Nyadror | www.diamondfmonline.com | Ghana
