Q1 2020 tourist arrivals fall by 10.6% – Report

International tourist arrivals to Ghana reduced by 10.6% in the first quarter of 2020 to 211,599.

During the same period last year, the arrivals were 236,741.

The decline was largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has culminated in full or partial lockdowns in most advanced economies.

This also led to the imposition of travel restrictions in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Bank of Ghana’s May 2020 Real Sector Development report, international tourist arrivals declined in March 2020, by 40.37% to 43,366 tourists in 2020.

When compared to February 2020, tourist arrivals dropped by 45.4%,

The hospitality sector was the hardest hit, as many hotels, which depended largely on tourist arrivals for revenue, lost significant sales.

The situation could continue till the end of the third quarter of 2020.

Meanwhile, the Hotel and Restaurants sub-sector recorded strong growth of 6.4% higher than the national growth rate of 4.9% in the first quarter of 2020, according to figures from the Ghana Statistical Service.