Washington: The Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) has expressed grave concern over the ongoing challenges regarding significant delays in the issuance of visas to Ghana, particularly at the Ghana Embassy in Washington, DC, United States.
According to Ghana News Agency, a statement issued by Madam Yvonne Donkor, President of TOUGHA, highlighted the distress caused to potential travelers and the critical disruption to the operations of their member tour companies. Over the past several weeks, an alarming number of passports submitted for visa processing at the Ghana Embassy in Washington, DC, have remained unreturned.
Travelers, many of whom had long-standing plans to visit Ghana for cultural heritage, tourism, business, and family purposes, are left in limbo-uncertain about travel dates, unable to retrieve their passports, and deeply frustrated by the lack of clear communication. TOUGHA emphasized that this unfortunate situation has had a devastating impact on their members, especially during what should be the first major peak season of the year, coinciding with summer breaks and the ‘Back to Africa’ heritage travel movement.
Ghana has earned a reputation as a leading heritage tourism destination, particularly for the African American community and diaspora. These visa delays not only threaten this reputation but also undermine the efforts of Ghanaian tour operators who have invested heavily in marketing, logistics, and preparation for incoming tours. TOUGHA members are facing massive cancellations of tours and bookings and financial losses due to non-refundable prepayments made to hotels, transport companies, and other service providers.
The consequences are severe, affecting business reputation with international partners and travelers, causing emotional distress and frustration as years of goodwill and trust are eroded overnight. TOUGHA is calling for immediate intervention by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the backlog at the Ghana Embassy in Washington, DC, and an urgent communication from the embassy to affected travelers and tour operators on the status of pending visa applications and the retrieval of passports.
They also urge the establishment of an emergency task force to fast-track visa processing for travelers with imminent travel dates and a review of Ghana’s visa issuance systems abroad, aiming to adopt efficient, digitized, and traveler-friendly processes. Engagement with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the Ghana Tourism Authority, and the Ghana Immigration Service, is essential to ensure better coordination and foresight during peak travel seasons.
TOUGHA reiterates their commitment to promoting Ghana as a welcoming, accessible, and attractive destination. However, they stress that they cannot do this alone. Government institutions, particularly diplomatic missions, must ensure that access to Ghana remains smooth, efficient, and dependable. They urge all relevant authorities to act swiftly and decisively, noting that the damage to Ghana’s image and the tourism sector is mounting by the day, and the livelihoods of many Ghanaian businesses and workers are at stake.