Tourism
From The Report: Ghana 2014
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Leveraging its broad range of attractions and reputation as one of Africa’s safest and most welcoming destinations, the country now has a clear road map for increasing tourism arrivals, boosting revenues, and spreading the geographical and social impact of the sector’s growth. The World Tourism & Travel Council (WTTC) forecasts that Ghana will see 1.19m international tourist arrivals in 2014, up from the 993,600 projected by the government for 2013. This trend has been moving strongly upwards in the past few years. The official Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has set a target of 5m arrivals by 2027, and 2m in the nearer term. The challenge now will be to ensure the continued growth of tourism through appropriate investments in infrastructure, amenities and attractions, while revamping and substantially boosting the sector’s promotional and marketing efforts abroad.

This chapter includes interviews with Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts; and Ulrich T Eckhardt, President of India, Middle East & Africa, Kempinski Hotels.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Ambitious new hotel projects promise to boost visitor numbers
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Building on its reputation within the West African region as a politically stable and economically vibrant state, Ghana is working to develop its strong tourism industry. The country’s appeal as a destination is already clear to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, as well as to Ghanaians themselves. From a solid base – tourism is already an important hard currency earner – Ghana now hopes to raise its profile as an increasingly popular destination. Leveraging its broad range of attractions…

Interview

OBG talks to Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts
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Interview:Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare How can the country promote leisure travel? ELIZABETH OFOSU-ADJARE: This is being done through the comprehensive, ongoing advertisement of tourist facilities and attractions through electronic and print media and interactive websites for the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA). The MoT is also taking steps to encourage tourism service providers to intensify domestic tourism promotional efforts and create a supportive environment…

Analysis

A range of factors should support further growth in the sector
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A wave of new high-end hotels, supported by a tourism development plan introduced last year, is spearheading Ghana’s efforts to attract a broader range of visitors to the country. Although dwarfed by the country’s primary and secondary drivers – including hydrocarbons, mining and agriculture – Ghana’s travel and tourism sector forms a key part of the government’s bid to shift its focus away from a reliance on commodity exports and encourage growth in labour-intensive service sectors.…

Interview

OBG talks to Ulrich T Eckhardt, President of India, Middle East & Africa, Kempinski Hotels
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Interview:Ulrich T Eckhardt How does the relationship between owner and operator differ between Europe and Africa? ULRICH T ECKHARDT: In most cases, owners in emerging markets like Africa rely heavily on the know-how of others and they expect a higher degree of involvement from the operators. In Africa, owners seldom get involved in hotel development and operations and use asset managers more heavily than they do in European markets. Contracts in these emerging markets reflect these intensified…

Analysis

Accommodation quality is on the up, despite concerns that a flurry of new developments could lead to an oversupply
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For years, travellers to Accra complained about the quality of accommodation. Room and service standards were often poor, while prices were high, particularly following the discovery of oil, which in turn led to an influx of business travellers. This situation is now beginning to change as a growing number of four- and five-star hotels are opening in the capital in addition to other major centres. But this activity is not only focused on urban business tourism: new resorts are also springing up,…