Headlines for Travel and Tourism News
Foreign Affairs Ministry urges passport applicants to complete their biometric capture at their chosen Application Centres
Virgin Atlantic Airlines to Resume Daily Flights to Accra in 2025
Hong Kong investors turn to Japan’s hotels as funds, tourists soar to record high
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has issued a notice urging passport applicants who made payments before April 1, 2024, to complete their biometric capture at their chosen Passport Application Centres (PACs) by October 18, 2024.
In a release dated September 18, the ministry emphasized that applications submitted under the previous fees of GHC100 and GHC150 will become invalid after this deadline.
This change follows a revision of passport fees as stipulated in the Fees (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations, 2023 (L.I 2481), which took effect on April 1, 2024.
The new fees are set at GHC500 for a 32-page passport and GHC644 for a 48-page passport, with expedited services priced at GHC800.
Virgin Atlantic Airlines has announced its decision to resume daily flights to Accra, citing Ghana’s economic recovery as a key factor. Starting May 1, 2025, the airline will reconnect the London (Heathrow) to Accra route after a 12-year hiatus.
In an exclusive interview with JoyBusiness Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Commercial Officer, Juha Jarvinen, expressed confidence in the current economic environment, which the airline believes will yield positive returns for its operations.
Jarvinen emphasized that the airline is responding to Ghana’s improving economic conditions and sees great potential for business and passenger growth, especially among the youth
The airline aims to strengthen connections between the UK and Ghana, home to the third-largest Ghanaian diaspora, and expects to offer much-needed competition on the Accra-London route. Virgin Atlantic is also focused on pricing, promising competitive fares.
Jarvinen assured potential customers that “Virgin Atlantic will be the airline of preference for many persons that want to fly from London to Accra.”Additionally, the airline intends to support Ghana’s tourism sector through its Virgin Atlantic Holidays tour operator, promoting the country as a prime tourist destination to a global audience. Jarvinen concluded, “We see Ghana as an opportunity when it comes to tourism, and we want to be part of it.”
Japan’s low-interest rate environment and its popularity as a tourist destination are set to boost investments in the country’s hotel segment to a record high this year.
For Hong Kong-based investors, Japanese hotels offer a solid diversification strategy amid a slowdown in the city and mainland China, as well as geopolitical risks between Beijing and the West.
Investments in Japan’s hotels are estimated to reach an all-time high of 600 billion yen (US$4.1 billion) this year, according to JLL.
As of the first half, the property consultancy had already advised on 378 billion yen worth of hotel deals, a 64 per cent increase from the same period last year.
Source : Joycelyn Marigold African Property Magazine
