The practice of easing oneself in the open, especially along the country’s beaches, is a major disincentive to the tourism sector, Minister-designate of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Catherine Afeku, has told parliament’s Appointments Committee.

Mrs Afeku indicated that the tourism sector is competitive, hence the need to arrest the development if Ghana is to see its tourism get a boost.

“You cannot aggressively bring people for tourism when you have open defecation at the beaches,” she stated.

She said countries like Kenya, where tourism brings in so much foreign exchange, have a practical advantage over Ghana because of issues like sanitation.

She was of the view that if sanitation was not addressed, tourism would continue to suffer.

Mrs Afeku indicated that the set-up of the Sanitation Ministry was laudable. She assured the house that if she is approved as minister, she will collaborate with that ministry to ensure Ghana’s beaches are devoid of filth.

Meanwhile, UNICEF’s Country Director of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, David Duncan, has said that considering the current rate, it will take Ghana 500 years to bring an end to ‘free ranging’ or open defecation,

An estimated 1.1 billion people in developing countries, including Ghana, ease themselves outdoors, though the practice is considered the greatest danger to human health.