News
Ghana’s tourism sector to fully recover in 3 yrs —Prof. Mensah
Ghana’s tourism sector will take between two to three years to fully recover from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic,an Associate Professor at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Ishmael Mensah has predicted.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times in an interview yesterday, Prof. Mensahwho is also the Ghana Director of the Confucius Institute, UCC said that the International Tourism Organisation (ITO) projected a decline of international tourist arrival between 20 and 30 percent for the year due to the impact of COVID-19.
This he explained would impact Ghana’s tourism sector extensively due to the fact that the domestic tourism industry had not been developed.
He has, therefore, asked players within the sector to brace themselves up for the setback and innovate to ensure they survived the scourge even as steps were taken to ease the restrictions.
In addition, he has urgedthe government to lead the way in the recovery processes since it was one of the critical sectors of the Ghanaian Economy, stressing that”We should not leave the recovery efforts in the hands of hotels, airlines and other organisations within the value chain” he said.
Tourism until the discovery of oil in commercial quantities was the third highest foreign exchange earner for the country, however, with the discovery, it has been dislodged.
Currently, it is the fourth largest foreign exchange earner with more than $1.7billion, representing about six per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product for 2019.
Prof. Mensah said the sector had globally declined due to the pandemic; however, the impact of the decline at the local level would differ depending on individual countries.
“The tourism sector globally has declined due to the pandemic; however, the impact at the local level can be even more devastating unless some innovative ways are adopted to prop up the sector.
“I see, a number of hotels have shut down whiles other agencies within the industry are facing challenges of eminent collapse,” he said.
The average occupancy rate before COVID-19, he said, was 70 percent but the emergence of the virus had slashed the average occupancy ratio to 30 percent with others registering as low as five percent and below, saying, “Our hotels are in serious distress”.
However, he said the domestic market even though not well developed, would commence with the recovery processes first and then that of inbound tourism would pick up gradually, adding that, “the road to recovery will be a long while.”
Prof. indicated that the tourism sector was a resilient one, saying, “We have to understand that all is not lost but the state needsto put in adequate measures to ensure the sector gets out of the current challenges quickly”.
As part of the recovery processes, he called for the state to put up an intensified promotional and marketing campaign, adding that “such a campaign may enable the country discover new markets.”
He commended government for showing leadership with the GH¢600 million stimuluspackages for businesses and urged those in the industry to apply for funds to address their challenges.
However, he said there would be the need for the “Beyond the Return” project which was supposed to have commenced this year to be re-launched when things normalised in about two to three years time to enable the sector to take full advantage of the diasporan market.
On a possible slump of tourism from being the fourth foreign exchange earner in the country, Prof. Mensah said, that would not materialise with a decline in the other entire sectors due to the pandemic.
“Tourism will continue to be the fourth exchange ex-change earner despite the challenges the sector is facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic” he said.
From David O Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
