Ghana is 25 times more successful in attracting tourism revenues compared to its much bigger West African counterpart, Nigeria. In fact, Ghana ranks among the continent’s best tourism performers overall, along with Tanzania, Rwanda and Senegal.

The majority of countries that perform well in terms of tourism have a very uncomplicated visa regime, says Renaissance Capital global chief economist Charles Robertson. However, Nigerian visa costs can run into the hundreds of dollars, and its official tourism website is often offline.

According to a VOA news report, the country receives around US$500 million in tourism revenue annually – just 0.1% of its GDP – while Ghana rakes in more than 2% of its GDP. The former loses at least US$8 billion in potential tourism receipts every year but Robertson says that improving airport quality and visa policy would help Nigeria turn its tourism deficit around in the long term.

27 September 2016
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