Ghana recorded 1.79 million visits to tourist sites in 2025, a seven per cent increase over the previous year, as domestic tourism cemented its place as the backbone of the country’s hospitality sector.
The Ghana Tourism Report 2025, produced by the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), shows visits to 55 tourist sites rose from 1,681,985 in 2024 to 1,793,797 in 2025, with residents accounting for 84 per cent of total visits.
The report, published under the theme “Resilience and Sustainable Growth,” assesses the performance of the tourism sector, including international arrivals, domestic tourism, visitor spending, tourism enterprises and visitor satisfaction.
International arrivals reached 1,306,962 in 2025, a marginal 1.4 per cent increase over the 1,288,804 recorded in 2024. International visitors stayed an average of approximately 13 nights, with business-related travel accounting for 31 per cent of arrivals.
However, average expenditure per international visitor declined from US3,319.90 in 2025, contributing to a drop in total tourism receipts from US4.34 billion — a decline of approximately 10.1 per cent.
The report suggests that increasing visitor numbers alone may not translate into higher tourism revenue, highlighting the need to attract higher-spending visitors and develop premium tourism experiences.
Concentration of Visits
Tourism activity remained concentrated in a few regions, particularly Greater Accra, Central, Ashanti and Eastern. The top 10 tourist sites recorded 1,377,588 visits, representing 77 per cent of all visits to the 55 sites covered by the report.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park emerged as the most visited attraction, recording 302,523 visits. Other popular destinations included Kakum National Park, Bunso Arboretum, Cape Coast Castle, Manhyia Palace Museum, Kumasi Zoo, Accra Zoo, Elmina Castle, Shai Hills Resource Reserve and Aburi Botanical Garden.
The concentration of visitors in a limited number of destinations points to opportunities to develop attractions in less-visited parts of the country through improved infrastructure, accessibility and promotion.
Enterprise Growth and Special Events
The number of licensed tourism enterprises increased from 6,702 in 2024 to 7,109 in 2025, a 6.1 per cent growth reflecting continued expansion in the formal tourism industry. Accommodation establishments rose from 5,210 to 5,424, while food, beverage and entertainment establishments increased from 814 to 881.
The travel-trade segment recorded the highest growth at 18.6 per cent, increasing from 678 to 804 enterprises, while entertainment and conference businesses grew by 14.3 per cent.
The report also highlights the contribution of special tourism events, including the Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival, PANAFEST and Emancipation celebrations, and December in GH. These events attract domestic and international visitors, supporting demand for accommodation, transportation, food, entertainment and other hospitality services.
Ghana recorded 18 cruise ship calls involving 5,488 passengers in 2025 through the ports of Takoradi and Tema. Although cruise tourism remains a relatively small segment of the industry, the report identifies opportunities to expand the market by linking cruise passengers to heritage sites, cultural experiences, craft markets and coastal attractions.
Visitor Satisfaction and Reputation
Ghana received positive ratings from international visitors, particularly for its hospitality and airport experience. The report recorded a 99 per cent rating for Ghanaian friendliness, while airport facilities and airport formalities each received 98 per cent ratings. The findings underscore the importance of maintaining service standards and positive visitor experiences to encourage repeat visits and strengthen Ghana’s reputation as a tourism destination.
Background: A Sector in Transformation
The 2025 performance comes amid a broader transformation of Ghana’s tourism sector, driven by a series of strategic initiatives aimed at deepening domestic participation and diaspora engagement.
The “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana” campaign, launched by the GTA in 2017, has been instrumental in promoting domestic tourism by encouraging citizens to explore the nation’s cultural and natural attractions. The initiative evolved from the landmark “Year of Return” in 2019, which marked 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, and generated an estimated US$1.9 billion for the Ghanaian economy.
That initiative evolved into the “Beyond the Return” programme in 2020, a 10-year initiative running through 2030 designed to sustain the momentum and encourage long-term engagement with the African diaspora. The current government has amplified this with the “Black Star Experience,” a year-round platform positioning Ghana as the gateway to Africa for the global diaspora.
In May 2026, the GTA launched the “Experience Ghana” digital tourism campaign, designed to boost domestic tourism and enhance the country’s international visibility. The GTA has also introduced “Accra by Night,” a structured night tourism product aimed at supporting restaurants, artists, transport operators and small businesses while contributing to the government’s 24-hour economy agenda. The initiative, which operates a double-decker open-top bus tour on the last Friday of each month, has carried more than 740 passengers within eight months of its launch.
The Ghana Tourism Marketplace, a digital platform introduced to enable tourists to book verified experiences online, recorded strong uptake during the December 2025 festive season, with “Accra by Night” accounting for about 93 per cent of total platform revenue.
Infrastructure and Investment
The government is also investing in tourism infrastructure to support the sector’s growth. The Accra Marine Drive Tourism Investment Project, a 241-acre waterfront redevelopment initiative estimated at US$1.2 billion, aims to transform Accra’s coastline from the Osu Castle enclave to the Jamestown Art Centre into a world-class tourism, leisure and commercial hub. A 17-member Technical Committee was inaugurated in April 2026 to accelerate the long-delayed project.
In September 2026, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced long-term financing to support the development of a 170-room Hampton by Hilton hotel near Accra International Airport. The project is expected to provide 990 direct and indirect jobs and expand the supply of internationally branded midscale accommodation in a market where most internationally branded hotels serve the upscale segment.
Travel and tourism contributed an estimated 5.7 per cent of Ghana’s gross domestic product and supported more than 800,000 jobs in 2024, according to IFC data.
Looking Ahead
The report calls attention to the importance of eco-tourism, community-based tourism and the preservation of cultural and natural heritage. Tourism development, it notes, must deliver economic and social benefits while protecting the environmental and cultural resources that attract visitors.
Expanding domestic tourism is also seen as a way to distribute tourism revenue more widely, allowing businesses and communities beyond established tourism centres to benefit from visitor spending.
Overall, the Ghana Tourism Report 2025 presents a sector making progress in domestic tourism, international arrivals and the expansion of licensed enterprises, while facing challenges related to visitor expenditure and the uneven distribution of tourism activity.
The findings point to the need for investment in infrastructure, improved access to emerging destinations, stronger tourism products and initiatives that increase visitor spending. The report’s central message is that Ghana’s tourism ambitions should extend beyond attracting more visitors to creating jobs, supporting local businesses, preserving cultural and natural assets, and ensuring that tourism contributes to sustainable economic growth across the country.
