Accra (Greater Accra), 30th September 99

Exhibitors at the second Ghana International Tourism Fair dubbed Inter- Tourism '99, on Thursday appealed to the organisers to extend its duration to enable them to "make enough sales to recoup the high participation fees."

They also called on the organisers to stop charging gate fees so that a lot more people could visit the stands.

Speaking to press, Nana Yaw Koranteng, a spokesman for a group of aggrieved exhibitors said "we are planning to embark on a peaceful demonstration this morning if the organisers do not respond positively.

"If they are not ready to extend the period and stop charging the gate fee, then we want our moneys back".

Nana Koranteng said exhibitors dealing in goods such as textiles, batik, artefacts and other tangible wares paid 358,000 cedis for a space and had to construct their own structures while another 50,000 cedis was paid for electricity and water supply.

"Some of us paid 240,000 for a structure to be erected for them while others constructed their own structures as additional costs."

Nana Koranteng, who is also the Managing Director of Denipat Limited, said in spite of all the high fees, patronage at the fair has been very poor due to low publicity and the high gate fee of 2000 cedis for adults and 1000 cedis for children.

"This fair is a failure but we will move heaven and earth to get our money."

A survey at the fair grounds showed that all the exhibitors on the top floor of the round pavilion have moved to the ground floor, others have moved out of the pavilions and mounted tables outside to attract patronage.

Mrs.Marie Joof, a Gambian exhibitor, said she paid so much for customs for her participation in the fair, adding "I have already regretted coming all the way from the Gambia to participate in this ill organised fair with poor publicity."

Mr. Ibrahim Iddrisu of Bomukasa Limited, an artefact shop, showed a receipt indicating that he paid a total of 2.5 million cedis to the organisers to participate in the fair, but has sold nothing since the beginning last Friday.

Mrs Bernice Adjei of Fashion House, said since the fair started, she has not made more than 10,000 cedis sales.

Mr. Godfred Essuman of Friengo Enterprise said he has made zero sales since the fair started.

Mr. Ben Ohene-Ayeh, Public Relations Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), organisers of the fair, said "our information indicate that exhibitors in the services sector are doing good business.

"It is only those selling goods who seem to be complaining about poor organisation and low publicity."

Mr. Ohene-Ayeh however, pointed out that this period is not the best for such a fair, saying "this is not the peak period of tourism and that is why the foreign tourists are not in as expected."

He said the fair had to be organised at this time because this is the only time that the Ghana Trade Fair Company could make the site available to GTB for the fair.

Mr. Ohene-Ayeh said the numerous foreign exhibitors, travel writers and conference organisers expected, "have disappointed us badly" and assured exhibitors of a better organised fair in future.