'Funeral Tourism' is still feasible - Mark Okraku-Mantey

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has reiterated his support for the concept of funeral tourism which he proposed in 2021.

Speaking during the Joy FM Manifesto Debate on Creative Economy, Okraku-Mantey explained that his belief in the idea remains strong despite its absence from the New Patriotic Party's manifesto.

Referencing the popularity of cemeteries as tourist sites in countries like Japan.

He argued that Ghanaians already travel for funerals, so incorporating tourism into these events could attract more visitors and boost 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

Earlier in an interview in 2021, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, said Ghanaians love funerals, and as such, it is a space for providing an opportunity for patrons to discover the various attractions scattered across the 16 regions of Ghana.

“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.