Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has reaffirmed his endorsement of the funeral tourism concept he introduced in 2021.
During the Joy FM Manifesto Debate on Creative Economy, Okraku-Mantey emphasized his continued support for the idea, even though it is not featured in the New Patriotic Party’s current manifesto.
He cited the popularity of cemeteries as tourist attractions in countries such as Japan and suggested that, since Ghanaians already travel for funerals, integrating tourism into these events could draw more visitors and enhance the economy.
“I still believe in funeral tourism. The month that we discussed funeral tourism as a topic when it went viral, I remember telling the whole Ghana that one of the popular tourist sites in Japan was their cemetery because it is the biggest.
“And so when it comes to tourism, it is the prerogative of you the one who wants to sell a product that you have a story to tell, that could attract somebody to have to travel to, to have a purchase or watch, spend time and have experience with the product. So we are saying that Ghanaians already travel. We travel for funerals anyway. So why don’t we add tourism to it? I still believe in it any day any time,” he said.
Background
In a 2021 interview, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, stated that Ghanaians have a strong affinity for funerals. He suggested that these events could serve as an opportunity for attendees to explore the diverse attractions available throughout Ghana’s 16 regions.
“Ghanaians love funerals and it is fertile ground for tourism. When there are funerals, people gather at places. What we want to do with the Ghana Tourism Authority, GTA, is that whenever there are funerals, we’ll also find tourist attractions in those areas where the funerals occur so that when they finish, [we can] bus those who attend the funerals to key tourist sites. We’re going to serve a lot of Ghanaian dishes at the funerals, Ghanaian drinks, sobolo [hibiscus tea] and co,” he said during an interview with UTV.