Elmina, Cape Coast castles record over 100,000 domestic tourists in 2018

The Cape Coast and Elmina castles received 140,506 tourists last year as against 108, 954 and 111,297 recorded in 2017 and 2016 respectively, indicating an increase of over 30,000 tourists.

The number of domestic tourists who visited the two castles increased significantly to 104,776 in 2018 against 80,769 in 2017.

However, the increase in patronage reflected in both foreign and local tourists who visited the two facilities in 2018.

The figure for the Cape Coast Castle rose from 62,572 in 2017 to 74,988 last year, recording an increase of 12,416 whilst that of the Elmina Castle increased from the 47,289 in 2017 to 65,518 last year.

Similarly, the number of foreign tourists increased from 29,210 in 2017 to 35,088 in the year under review.

In a document signed by Mr Kwesi Essel Blankson, Regional Manager of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board and made available to the GNA in Cape Coast revealed that the number of foreign students increased from 10,368 in 2017 to 12,132 in 2018

A total of 1,912 foreign children and 20,703 adults visited the Castles.

Ghanaian children who visited the two tourists sites last year were 44,419 and that of adults totalling 33,422, compared to 33,294 and 25,321 respectively in 2017.

However, the number of VIPs who visited the castles last year reduced from 458 in 2017 to 217 last year.

Fees charged ranges from GH¢5.00 to GH¢300.00 with Ghanaian adults paying GH¢5.00, GH¢¢40.00 for foreign adults and GH¢30.00 for non-Ghanaian students with ID cards.

Again, non-Ghanaian children pay GH¢5.00 and the fee for Ghanaian students in the primary and junior high school is GH¢1.00 each while senior high school students paid GH¢2.00 and tertiary students with ID cards pay GH¢3.00.

Source: GNA