By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Aug. 28, GNA – The Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) has called on Government to review downward the US$260 fee charged for Ghana’s Emergency Entry Visa, describing it as prohibitively high and a potential deterrent to international travellers.
Ms Yvonne Donkor, President of TOUGHA, said although the Union welcomed the migration of the Emergency Entry Visa application process onto Ghana’s e-Visa platform, the cost remained a major concern for inbound tour operators and their international clients.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, she said the convenience offered by the e-Visa platform should be complemented by a fee structure that supported the competitiveness of the tourism industry.
“We welcome the move to bring the Emergency Entry Visa onto the e-Visa platform because it is an important step towards making Ghana’s visa application process more efficient, transparent and convenient.
“However, the convenience of the application process must be matched by a fee structure that supports, rather than undermines, the competitiveness of our tourism industry,” she said.
Ms Donkor said the US$260 charge was particularly concerning for inbound tour operators operating in highly competitive international markets where travellers had several destinations to choose from.
She noted that emergency visas served an important purpose, particularly for travellers who needed to enter Ghana at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances, urgent business, family obligations or last-minute travel arrangements.
Such travellers, she said, often had limited alternatives and were therefore particularly sensitive to the cost and ease of obtaining entry clearance.
“Tourism is a highly competitive global industry. Travellers compare destinations not only on attractions and experiences but also on accessibility, cost and the ease of travelling.
“When an emergency visa costs US$260, we risk creating the perception that Ghana is an expensive or difficult destination, particularly when compared with competing destinations that offer more affordable or flexible visa arrangements,” Ms Donkor said.
She said a more moderate fee would be in the broader economic interest of the country, as international visitors contributed to the growth of several businesses and livelihoods across the tourism value chain.
These included hotels, restaurants, transport companies, tourist attractions, tour guides, artisans, event organisers, airlines and communities that depended on tourism-related expenditure.
The TOUGHA President urged the Government to consider the potential economic value of additional visitors that a more affordable emergency visa could attract, rather than focusing solely on revenue from the visa charge.
Ms Donkor stressed that the Union’s call should not be interpreted as opposition to efforts to strengthen border management, immigration procedures or visa administration.
Rather, she said, TOUGHA was advocating a balance between national interests and the need to maintain Ghana’s competitiveness as a tourism destination.
“We fully recognise the importance of effective immigration controls and the need for Government to recover the administrative costs associated with visa processing.
“Our concern is that the fee should be proportionate and should not inadvertently discourage the very visitors whose expenditure supports thousands of livelihoods across the tourism value chain,” she said.
Ms Donkor said Ghana had enormous potential to become one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations and policies governing access to the country should reflect that ambition.
She said a downward review of the Emergency Entry Visa fee would send a positive signal to international travellers and the global tourism trade that Ghana was committed to becoming a more accessible, competitive and visitor-friendly destination.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba
Reporter: Hafsa Obeng