Marketing and branding expert, Jesse Agyepong has justified the seeming expensive nature of domestic tourism in Ghana.

According to him, hotels and tourist destinations owned by private individuals cannot be blamed for the expensive nature of tourism in the country.

Speaking on Showbiz A-Z, he stated that because the cost of living in Ghana is high, it affects all other sectors of the economy including domestic tourism.

“The cost of doing business in Ghana is expensive. So it has nothing to do with tourism per se, because our electricity is expensive, our wages might seem high, transportation might be a little expensive, water might be expensive.”

“Generally the cost of living in Ghana is actually high, so this won't be the fault of the Aqua Safaris, Novotels and others. It is the cost of doing business in Ghana,” Mr Agyepong said.

His comment comes after some listeners of the Show, hosted by George Quaye, revealed they prefer to travel to Dubai for vacations rather than participate in domestic tourism.

According to a fan who tweeted at Joy FM, it is relatively cheaper to travel to the Arab city than to some places in the country, citing high hotel fees among others.

However, Mr Agyepong explained that it would be unfair to compare Ghana’s tourism industry to that of Dubai because their economy is well subsidised and supported by the government.

He urged the Tourism Ministry to ensure that the additional budgetary allocation of GH¢100 million, is used to adequately strengthen the sector.“