DESPITE Cape Coast and Elmina castles sitting comfortably in the fifth and seventh positions respectively on the Top 10 Most-visited Tourist Sites in Ghana, the 2024 Tourism Report discloses that the overall performance of all 28 forts and castles in Greater Accra, Central, Volta and Western regions recorded the least visits by tourists.

Cape Coast Castle garnered 120,242 while Elmina Castle logged 87,691 visits in the year under review. The rest performed abysmally.

The latest statistics have raised concerns about the need to boost tourist patronage at Ghana's historic forts and castles and significant heritage sites that tell the story of the country's rich history and its role in the transatlantic slave trade. 

 Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Yussif Issaka Jajah, expressed disappointment with the performance of the forts and castles at the recent launch of the 2024 Ghana Tourism Report at the Ghana Tourism Authority(GTA) in Accra.

Mr Jajah said the poor structural state of the forts and castles has been a major obstacle to attracting tourists. To address this challenge, he disclosed that the government was currently renovating six of the sites to increase patronage.

The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) is the legal custodian of Ghana’s material cultural heritage (movable and immovable heritage). 

The mission of the GMMB is to acquire, protect, conserve and document the nation’s movable and immovable material cultural heritage for posterity, purposes of research and education of the public.

When Graphic Showbiz reached out to the Ag Executive Director of GMMB, Kwesi Essel Blankson, on the Tourism report, he said the forts and castles had been favourite tourist sites and hosted visitors for many years, probably accounting for their low patronage this time around. (Read EDITOR’S LENS: Tourists find accommodation too expensive in GH)

Even though he didn’t admit that the not-so-good state of the sites may have accounted for their low patronage, he mentioned that a UNESCO State of Conservative Report on Ghana’s Forts and Castles had recommended renovations for them. 

The report recommended that the Ussher Fort in the Greater Accra and Fort Amsterdam in the Central Region be renovated. 

However, presently, the government is refurbishing six castles and forts, namely Ussher Fort, James Fort, Christianborg Castle, Fort St. Anthonio at Axim, Fort Orange at Sekondi and Fort Apollonia at Benyin.

According to William Nsuiban Gmayi, Head of Communications, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Ghanaians should be proud and interested in managing and conserving local heritage sites. 

He said the board had been adhering to recommendations of the UNESCO report, which had contributed to the government’s renovation of some forts and castles, prioritising structural interventions at each site and guiding further evaluation of the forts and castles. 

The report also disclosed that although the project began on May 14, 2023, it was yet to be completed, having originally been expected to be completed on September 18, 2023.