The Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) has expressed deep concerns over visa processing delays at the Ghana Embassy in Washington D.C., warning 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.
President of TOUGHA, Ms. Yvonne Donkor, described the delays as “a grave concern” that has left many prospective visitors stranded and operators struggling to salvage their businesses during the crucial summer tourism period.
“Over the past several weeks, an alarming number of passports submitted for visa processing at the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C. have reportedly remained unreturned,” TOUGHA stated.
“Travellers… are left in limbo, uncertain about travel dates, unable to retrieve their passports, and deeply frustrated by the lack of clear communication.”
The group noted that the visa delays have coincided with what should be the peak season for heritage tourism, particularly among the African American diaspora drawn to Ghana’s “Back to Africa” movement. “This unfortunate situation has had a devastating impact on our members,” TOUGHA lamented, warning that Ghana’s hard-won reputation as a leading heritage destination was now under threat.
“Our members are facing massive cancellations of tours and bookings,” the group stated.
“There are financial losses due to non-refundable prepayments made to hotels, transport companies, and other service providers.
Businesses are suffering damage to their reputations with international partners and travellers, while the emotional toll is immense, years of goodwill and trust are being eroded overnight.” It added.
TOUGHA is thus urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take immediate steps to resolve the backlog at the embassy in Washington.
The union also called for timely updates from the embassy to both travellers and tour operators, the creation of an emergency task force to prioritise imminent travel cases, and a full review of Ghana’s visa systems abroad to adopt more efficient, digitised, and user-friendly processes.
The union stressed the need for improved coordination between key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Tourism, Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana Immigration Service, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particularly during peak seasons.
“We cannot do this alone,” TOUGHA asserted. “Government institutions, particularly our diplomatic missions, must match our efforts by ensuring that access to Ghana remains smooth, efficient and dependable.”
Furthermore, TOUGHA made a passionate plea to the authorities to act swiftly, .”
“I take full responsibility “
Responding to the concerns raised, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa admitted that while the problems predate his tenure, he takes “full responsibility” and assured the public that “decisive measures are being taken to remedy the situation” in line with President Mahama’s RESET Agenda.
“All your justified grievances about the lack of responsiveness and discourteous conduct at some of Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad have been duly noted,” Mr Ablakwa said.
He added that he was personally outraged after reading an article by Prof. Kojo Dei detailing poor treatment at two of Ghana’s missions, describing such behaviour as “condemnable conduct” that would not be tolerated under his leadership.
He acknowledged that while some missions strive for “excellence, consular empathy, and high professionalism”, others have suffered from “many years of poor service”.
In response, the Ministry has developed a new code of conduct for mission staff, reconfigured phone systems to handle multiple simultaneous calls, and mandated that all official calls be recorded and reviewed to monitor professionalism and empathy.
The minister also announced external verification mechanisms to confirm whether embassy staff are responding to public calls and declared that responsiveness and accessibility are now part of the key performance indicators (KPIs) for all newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners. Officials who fall short of expected standards will face appropriate disciplinary action.
Speaking specifically about the Washington, D.C. mission, Mr Ablakwa revealed that “we have surgically uprooted the canker of corruption” and that “far-reaching reforms are underway to overhaul service delivery”. Since the embassy’s reopening, he said 2,943 visas have been issued, adding, “I have been there to directly supervise operations and ensure the backlog of visa applications are cleared.”
The Minister assured the public that the newly assigned diplomats in Washington have been directed to implement all public responsiveness policies without delay. “I urge the public to have confidence in our reset agenda aimed at combating corruption, eliminating conflicts of interest, protecting applicants from criminal exploitation, redeeming Ghana’s image abroad, and serving you better with efficiency and integrity.”
