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Do not fill this in! ===Tourism=== {{Main|Tourism in Ghana}} [[File:Surfers Surfing at Busua Beach in Western region, Ghana.jpg|thumb|[[Surfer]]s [[surfing]] and [[big wave surfing]] at [[Busua Beach]] in [[Western Region (Ghana)|Western region]]<ref name="11 of the world's most unusual surf spots"/>]] In 2011, 1,087,000 tourists visited Ghana.<ref name="WAO">{{cite web |work=Ministry of Tourism Ghana |publisher=ghana.gov.gh |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/features/5885-we-are-serious-about-overcoming-the-challenges-confronting-tourism-development |title=We Are Serious About Overcoming The Challenges Confronting Tourism Development |access-date=14 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718223300/http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/features/5885-we-are-serious-about-overcoming-the-challenges-confronting-tourism-development |archive-date=18 July 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> Tourist arrivals include South Americans, Asians, Europeans, and North Americans.<ref name="Trade Expo International Ghana"/> The attractions and tourist destinations include waterfalls such as [[Kintampo waterfalls]] and the largest waterfall in west Africa, [[Wli waterfalls]], the coastal palm-lined sandy beaches, caves, mountains, rivers, and reservoirs and lakes such as [[Lake Bosumtwi]] and the largest human-made lake in the world by surface area, [[Lake Volta]], dozens of [[List of castles in Ghana|forts and castles]], [[World Heritage Site]]s, nature reserves and national parks.<ref name="Trade Expo International Ghana">{{cite web |url=http://www.uniquetrustex.com/node/162/177/?ex=trade-expo-international-ghana&nid=162 |title=Trade Expo International Ghana |publisher=uniquetrustex.com |access-date=14 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501221713/http://www.uniquetrustex.com/node/162/177/?ex=trade-expo-international-ghana&nid=162 |archive-date=1 May 2013}}</ref> Some castles are [[Cape Coast Castle Museum|Cape Coast Castle]] and the [[Elmina Castle]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Visit Ghana {{!}} Forts and Castles in Ghana |url=https://visitghana.com/attractions/all-forts-and-castles/ |access-date=12 September 2020 |website=Visit Ghana |language=en-US |archive-date=23 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523044732/https://visitghana.com/attractions/all-forts-and-castles/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Castles mark where blood was shed in the slave trade and preserve and promote the African heritage stolen and destroyed through the slave trade.<ref name="Centre">{{cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/34/ |access-date=12 September 2020 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |archive-date=27 October 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027113800/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/34/ |url-status=live}}</ref> As a result of this, the [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Convention]] of UNESCO named Ghana's castles and forts as World Heritage Monuments.<ref name="Centre"/> The [[World Economic Forum]] statistics in 2010 showed that out of the world's favourite tourist destinations, Ghana was ranked 108th out of 139 countries.<ref name="RANK">{{cite web |title=Forbes: Ghana is eleventh friendliest nation |url=http://vibeghana.com/2011/03/20/forbes-ghana-is-eleventh-friendliest-nation/ |publisher=vibeghana.com |access-date=31 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728071955/http://vibeghana.com/2011/03/20/forbes-ghana-is-eleventh-friendliest-nation/ |archive-date=28 July 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The country had moved two places up from the 2009 rankings. In 2011, ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine published that Ghana was ranked the eleventh most friendly country in the world. The assertion was based on a survey in 2010 of a cross-section of travellers. Of all the African countries that were included in the survey, Ghana ranked highest.<ref name=RANK/> Tourism is the fourth highest earner of foreign exchange for the country.<ref name=RANK/> In 2017, Ghana ranked as the [[Global Peace Index|43rd–most peaceful country]] in the world.<ref name="About the Global Peace Index">{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofhumanity.org/sites/default/files/Global%20Peace%20Index%20Report%202015_0.pdf |title=About the Global Peace Index |publisher=Vision of Humanity |year=2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006145259/http://www.visionofhumanity.org/sites/default/files/Global%20Peace%20Index%20Report%202015_0.pdf |archive-date=6 October 2015}}</ref> Up and down the coastline, surfing spots have been identified and cultivated by locals and internationals. Surfers have made trips to the country to sample the waves. Surfers carried their boards amid [[Traditional fishing boat|traditional fishing vessels]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Saxena |first=Kanika |date=2018-12-21 |title=Wish To Experience The Thrill Of Surfing in Ghana? Here's Where You Should Go! |url=https://traveltriangle.com/blog/surfing-in-ghana/ |access-date=21 May 2021 |language=en-US |archive-date=21 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521092011/https://traveltriangle.com/blog/surfing-in-ghana/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to Destination Pride<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/life/travel/tools-to-help-the-lgbtq-community-travel-more-safely-1.4539293 |title=Tools to help the LGBTQ community travel more safely |date=16 February 2018 |first=Ryan E. |last=Thompson |work=CBC Life |access-date=14 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718062412/https://www.cbc.ca/life/travel/tools-to-help-the-lgbtq-community-travel-more-safely-1.4539293 |archive-date=18 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>–a data-driven search platform used to visualize the world's LGBTQ+ laws, rights and social sentiment–Ghana's Pride score is 22 (out of 100).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://destinationpride.org/destination/ghana |title=I'm sharing Ghana's Destination Pride Flag. What does your country score? |website=Destination Pride |access-date=14 March 2019 |archive-date=16 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316165738/https://destinationpride.org/destination/ghana |url-status=live}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page