The tourism sector in Ghana has rebounded significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic, showing strong potential for growth over the coming decade. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) have invested heavily in a variety of marketing campaigns aimed at diversifying Ghana’s visitor markets. This has helped attract a large number of the diaspora population to Ghana during the Year of Return and Beyond the Return campaigns; visitors to the niche tourism sector, including ecotourism; and more business visitors for meetings and conferences. New investment in Accra’s hotel infrastructure is expected to prepare the capital for an influx of tourists as the government continues to focus on the diversification of Ghana’s tourist source markets, setting its sights on the UK and Europe. Furthermore, private sector investment is trending upwards with the number of formal licensed tourism facilities increasing by 6% in 2022, with 323 newly registered projects.
Structure & Oversight
MoTAC oversees the industry and is responsible for policy formulation and the development of tourism-related activities. In recent years, the ministry has concentrated on sustainable tourism, with a focus on culture and creative arts. The GTA is one of 13 agencies under MoTAC. It is responsible for promoting the sustainable development of the industry domestically and internationally. The GTA manages the regulation of tourism businesses through marketing promotion, as well as the licensing and classification of tourism facilities and services. It aims to transform Ghana into the leading tourist destination in sub-Saharan Africa by 2028.
MoTAC introduced the 15-year National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2013-27 in 2012, aimed at enhancing infrastructure, diversifying tourist attractions and improving the visitor experience. The plan aims to make tourism a key driver of economic growth, employment creation and revenue generation. The government hopes to use the strategy to encourage private investment to expand the sector through improved infrastructure, marketing and promotion, human resource development and technological advancement.
In April 2023 the GTA held its Golden Jubilee Celebrations at a ceremony held at the Accra Tourist Information Centre, under the theme “Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism Development 50 Years and Beyond”. Stakeholders from MoTAC, the Ghana Tourism Federation and the latter’s affiliate associations, such as the Ghana Progressive Hotels Association and the Tour Operators Union of Ghana, attended the event. At the event, Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the minister of tourism, announced that MoTAC and the GTA will collaborate to develop a tourism sector that contributes to Ghana’s GDP, focusing on providing a training and skills development scheme for 6000 hospitality workers to improve service delivery.
Performance & Size
The government initially allocated MoTAC a budget of GHS115.7m ($10.5m) for 2022. Mid-year, it was revised to GHS112.7m ($10.2m) as part of overall cost-cutting efforts. The revised allocation included GHS58.7m ($5.3m) for staff, GHS32.7m ($3.2m) for goods and services, and GHS21.3m ($1.93m) for capital expenditure. Looking ahead, MoTAC projected a higher budget of GHS260.9m ($23.7m) in 2023, driven primarily by anticipated increases in goods and services, as well as capital expenditure.
In 2022 Ghana generated $2.5bn in foreign tourism revenue, according to the GTA’s “2022 Tourism Report”. International visitor arrivals rose from 623,523 in 2021 to 914,892 in 2022, slightly below the government aim of 1m. Domestic tourists totalled 937,087, marking a 55% increase from 2021. In the first half of 2023 Ghana recorded approximately 500,000 tourist arrivals towards its annual target of 1.2m, with aspirations to generate $3.4bn in revenue and create 150,000 new jobs that year. According to a March 2023 report published by the World Travel and Tourism Council, Ghana’s tourism sector is forecast to provide nearly 964,000 jobs by 2032, accounting for 5.7% of all jobs. The government hopes to attract 2m international tourists annually by 2025 and achieve a revenue of around $5bn a year by 2025.
In addition to developing its leisure tourism segment, Ghana has made strides in business tourism in recent years. In 2021 the GTA established a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) bureau to promote Ghana as a business tourism destination in West Africa. In 2022 Ghana also became a member of the International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA), the largest global meetings industry network.
The global MICE tourism market was valued at $645.7bn in 2022, which is expected to rise to around $1.6trn by 2032. In 2021 almost 30% of visitors travelled to the country on business. The increase in demand for business tourism facilities in Ghana has encouraged hotels to adapt to cater to business visitors. The capital city of Accra has become the main business and MICE tourism destination in West Africa, with a hotel project pipeline that reflects the needs of business tourism.
Visitors & Source Markets
In 2022 the primary sources of visitors to Ghana were the US (118,369), Nigeria (72,789), the UK (47,962), and India (22,261). As of the most recent data available from the first half of 2022, the age distribution indicated that 33.9% of visitors were 18-29 years of age, 32.4% were 30-39 years of age, 21.3% were 40-49 years of age, 10.3% were 50-59 years of age, and 0.3% were over 60 years of age. Major European, US and Gulf carriers regularly operate flights to Ghana from major cities around the world (see Transport & Infrastructure chapter).
During the GTA’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations, stakeholders underscored the pivotal role of the Ghanaian diaspora, notably from the US and the Caribbean, in promoting the country as a tourist destination. This was evident in the 2019 Year of Return campaign, marking the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia. The year of homecoming events helped to attract revenue of almost $2bn, according to MoTAC. However, subsequent pandemic setbacks in 2020 prompted MoTAC and the GTA to refocus on the diaspora through a decade-long initiative named Beyond the Return, launched in December 2019.
Hotel Infrastructure
Hotel properties are expanding, particularly in Accra. In recent years Ghana’s hotel occupancy has been steadily rising. Hotel occupancy for 2021 averaged 50% in five-star hotels, 42% in four-star hotels and 18% in three-star hotels. In 2022 the occupancy rates for four- and five-star hotels rose to 45% and 65% on average, respectively, while threestar hotels experienced a twofold increase to 36%.
Based on the most recent data from the 2022 International Air Travellers Survey, covering the first half of 2022 and based on interviews with 1511 international arrivals at Kotoka International Airport during that period, 41.2% of visitors stayed in private homes, 32% in hotels, 19.4% in guest houses, 4.4% in corporate houses, and 3.1% in other forms of accommodation. In terms of perception of hotel facilities, 20% rated them as excellent, 69% as good, and 10% as average.
Plans were launched in 2023 for two new hotels in the Cantonments suburb of Accra, home to several embassies and around a 10-minute drive from Kotoka International Airport. In February of that year, UAE-based Aleph Hospitality signed an agreement to operate The Pelican Hotel Accra-Ghana, marking the group’s first entry into Ghana. It was set to open ahead of the 2023 African Games, hosted in Accra in August.
Hilton announced its entry into Ghana with the new Hilton Accra Cantonments, expected to open in December 2023. This hotel is part of Hilton’s plans to double its portfolio in the Middle East and Africa regions through to 2028. The hotel will have 145 rooms, several restaurants, a gym, spa and outdoor pool, as well as 900 sq metres of event space including a ballroom, seven meeting rooms and an executive boardroom.
Visitor Attractions
Business tourists tend to plan their trip around the capital city of Accra, but there are several other popular cities across the country. Ghana is home to 538 km of Atlantic coastline with numerous beaches, national parks and wildlife reserves. Tourists can visit beach resorts for sun and sea tourism, as well as participate in water sports or ecotourism activities. Ghana has a tropical climate with year-round average temperatures between 21°C and 30°C. The rainy season runs from March to July and from September to October, while the rest of the year is mainly dry. This makes it attractive to tourists wanting to escape colder climates in the winter months.
Historical sites include more than 30 historical forts and castles built between the 14th and 18th centuries by various European empires. Kakum National Park, spanning 360 sq km in the southern rainforest, hosts endangered species and one of Africa’s three canopy walkways. In the north, Mole National Park, Ghana’s largest wildlife refuge, covers 4849 sq km.
Closer to Accra, the Shai Hills Resource Reserve attracts eco-tourists with 31 mammal species, 175 bird species and hundreds of butterfly species. The Bunso Arboretum, two hours from the capital, features over 110 species of birds and 30 butterfly species. Ghana’s waterfalls, including Wli, Kintampo and Boti Falls provide additional ecotourism attractions. Greater marketing emphasis on Ghana’s diverse natural and historical sites could drive both leisure and business visitors to explore regions beyond Accra.
Niche Markets
In recent years, MoTAC and the GTA have promoted several new tourist activities to encourage travellers to visit destinations outside of Accra, with varying success. In 2019 the GTA launched the Cocoa Ecotourism Initiative to promote cocoa farms across the country as tourist attractions. As of end-2022 Ghana is the second-biggest cocoa-producing country worldwide, following Côte d’Ivoire. In recent years the country has joined several international cocoa schemes to promote fair trade production, with more sustainable agriculture and better compensation for workers in the industry.
The GTA, the Ghana Cocoa Board, the Cocoa Processing Company and other government agencies hosted Chocolate Week at Expo 2020 Dubai in February 2022. This was complemented by a business of chocolate summit that same month in Accra. The Chocolatarium was attended by 120 chocolatiers, and featured panel discussions on financing and marketing cocoa products.
The marketing campaigns for cocoa-based tourism have encouraged tour agencies to offer cocoa farm visits and chocolate tastings. In 2021 the GTA invested in upgrades to the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm and Exhibition Centre to attract visitors. A 2022 study showed that there was a high willingness from cocoa farmers to participate in agri-tourism to generate additional income. However, a bigger international marketing push could help promote Ghana further as a chocolate-producing tourist destination in a similar way as has been seen in Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Marketing
In 2021 MoTAC launched the Visit Ghana website and mobile phone application. The app allows tourists to book tours, order food, book site visits, reserve hotels and other accommodations, rent cars and pay for tourist services.
In April 2022 the GTA launched the 2022 Destination Ghana: Open and Ready campaign to attract tourists. Having focused its attention primarily on the US and Caribbean diaspora in previous years, the GTA aimed this initiative at the UK and Europe. The UK is a large tourist source market for Ghana, with a sizeable diaspora population. The campaign promotes a wide range of tourism activities, from historical sites to adventure and ecotourism, as well as business and MICE tourism.
Most recently, MoTAC marked Ghana’s tourism month in September 2023 with several events. The launch was held at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park at the end of August 2023, with participants from across the sector. The popular city park, located in Accra, is a tribute to the country’s first president and holds significant cultural and artistic significance. The event was aimed at attracting domestic tourists, promoting sustainable tourism and making Ghana the preferred destination in West Africa.
Outlook
Owing to several marketing campaigns undertaken by MoTAC and the GTA, Ghana has begun to diversify the sector. It is now drawing a large number of visitors from the diaspora population, leisure tourists and business travellers. MoTAC’s focus on improving the quality of the hospitality segment through the licensing of establishments and staff training schemes is expected to further strengthen the sector. In addition, government efforts to attract tourists from less established source markets such as the UK and Europe are expected to boost visitor numbers in the coming years.
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