More than 100,000 people visited Cape Coast and Elmina Castles last year

The Cape Coast Castle recorded 109,916 foreign and local visitors from January to December last year, as against 97,603 in 2011, representing an increase of 12, 313 visitors.

The Elmina Castle also received about 61,731 visitors from January to July last year as compared to 81,677 from January to December 2011.

Mr Nicholas Ivor, Regional Director of Cape Coast Castle who made this known to the GNA in an interview in Cape Coast, said since 2009 the castle had been recording high numbers of visitors.

According to him 17,076 Ghanaian Adults visited the Cape Coast castle last year, compared to 14,327 in 2011, while from January to July last year the Elmina Castle received 7,360 Ghanaian visitors as against 5,102 in 2011.

Mr Ivor said 12, 620 foreign adults visited the Cape Coast castle last year as against 11,681 in 2011, with 6,667 visiting the Elmina castle from January to July 2012, as against 5,428 in 2011.

The Regional Director said a total of 40,797 Ghanaian children also visited the Cape Coast castle last year as against 33,259 in the previous year, whiles 29,544 visited the Elmina Castle from January to July as against 25,511 in 2011.

Mr Ivor said 27,292 Ghanaian students from primary to tertiary schools visited the Cape Coast castle last year compared to 25,049 in 2011, whiles 11,659 visited the Elmina Castle from January to July 2012 as against 10,123 in 2011.

A total of 79 VIP’s also visited the Cape Coast castle last year as against 285 in the previous year with 290 visiting the Elmina castle from January to July as against 386 in 2011.

The Regional Director was however unable to disclose the total revenue accrued from the visits but expressed the optimism that if the number of visitors continued to increase the way it did, it would benefit the Ghana Monuments and Museums Board (GMMB) and the nation at large.

Source: GNA