Nigerians spent over $2.5 billion (N500 billion) on flight tickets alone last year, and most of the travels were outside Africa.
This was disclosed at the maiden Accra Weizo by Ghanaian Tourism Culture & Creative Arts Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare.
She praised the event for bringing together the regional tourism practitioners, and especially for greasing “the long standing Ghana-Nigeria relationship.”
She explained that Nigeria is a steady supplier of tourists to Ghana with over 100, 000 visitors yearly, but “this is a small drop in the ocean.”
She said Ghana is preparing to move into the next phase of accelerated growth and modernisation activities such as tourism and its components, and to provide “crucial alternatives” in such pursuit.
Ofosu-Adjare urged participants and delegates to tour Ghana to discover the country for themselves.
“Please move outside Accra to other locations in Ghana and find out why Ghana was listed among the global top 25 destinations in 2015.
“I also wish to once again congratulate the organisers of this event and encourage all stakeholders to work together to have a stronger and vibrant sub regional tourism.”