Ghana: The Tourism Information Center – Cape Coast Oguaa shares the tourism report of the year 2023 and informs that over 78,000 people visited the Elmina Castle.
Cape Coast is an ancient and historic city in Ghana and a renowned citadel of Education, and a Tourism hub of Ghana.
A total of 78,870 people has toured the Elmina Castle and made the facility the 7th most visited attraction place during the year, reviewed under the survey conducted by Ghana Tourism Authority.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) was established back in 2011 under the Tourism Act-817. Previously, it existed as the Ghana Tourist Control Board, which is popularly referred to as GTB or Tourist Board under NRCD 224, in 1973.
It is mandatory for GTA to regulate the tourism industry and it doubles as the Destination Management Organisation (DMO), which is responsible for the marketing and promotion of tourism both locally and internationally.
Elmina Castle was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea and is the oldest European building in existence, in sub-Saharan Africa. Elmina is a picturesque fishing town along Ghana’s coast and not far from Cape Coast.
It is home to one of Ghana’s biggest attractions ‘St George’s Castle’, built by the Portuguese back in 1482, and was captured by the Dutch 150 years later and became the headquarters of their West Indies Company for the following next 250 years.
The place also has Gold Exports, which were soon replaced by the slaves. The tours through the dungeons will give all a good idea of how gruesome trade it was.
Castle houses a small museum and guided tours are available at Elmina. The starkle beauty of the white-washed Castle walls contrast deeply with the dark history of the place.
The Fort St Jago is another highlight that lies across the lagoon from the castle and is worth visiting for the views it offers of the town and Castle.
Known as the first major European construction in tropical Africa, St George’s Castle in the town of Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana was founded by the Portuguese in 1482.
The site of the Castle was selected by Portuguese navigators as it was previously located at the end of a narrow promontory, a stone’s throw away from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Benya River. Lee of the low headland provided an excellent natural harbour.
Considerably, the main Dutch trades were gold and slaves as they reconstructed the castle between 1770 and 1775. The castle served as the focal co-ordinating point for Dutch Gold Coast activities, until 1872.
The author Jean Barbot in 1682, described St. George’s Castle as having no equal on all the coast of Guinea, with respect to beauty and strength.
Notably, on April 6, 1872, the castle was ceded to the British. Recently, it has served as Police Recruit Training Centre at a secondary school and it is presently a historical museum.
The St George’s Castle has been featured on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Next to the castle, is a picturesque fishing harbour and at the walking distance are sites such as Fort Coenraadsburg (St. Jago), the Dutch cemetery and the ‘Posuban’ buildings of Elmina.
