Coronavirus: Tourism Chamber appeals to govt to exempt tourists from US$150 testing fee

The Chamber of Tourism Industry Ghana has made an appeal to government to relieve tourists entering into Ghana by air from paying the US$150 mandated COVID-19 testing fee.

Chief Executive Officer of the chamber, Prince Ntiamoah Boateng, said the move will reassure persons bearing tourist visas to patronise Ghana.

In an interaction with Citi Business News, Ntiamoah Boateng said the testing fee exemption, would substantially boost the tourism sector.

“There were some few exemptions they made that, children under 5 years will not do the test. For children between 5 and 12, the government will pay for their test,” Boateng said.

He continued, “To us, these are great exemptions, but they could have also added that people coming into the country with tourist visas can also come through for free. That will also go a long way to encourage patronage for the tourism sector which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The Government of Ghana has pegged the COVID-19 testing fee at US$150 for person entering Ghana through the main airport, Kotoka International Airport.

The development came as the country announced plans to reopen its air borders on September 1, 2020, to international passenger traffic after five months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.