Data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicate that Ghana generated an estimated GH₵6.6 billion in 2023 from more than 15 million domestic trips.

In a press statement, Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu disclosed that the revenue was generated mainly from domestic travel by adults aged 25 to 44, who are economically active and account for the majority of both same-day and overnight trips within the country.

He added, “This momentum has brought a powerful reminder that tourism is not only about international arrivals. It is also about Ghanaians discovering Ghana, investing in local experiences, and breathing economic life into the communities and sites they visit.”

In September, Ghana’s tourism industry embarked on a growth path, generating a whopping GH₵15.2 billion in revenue from inbound tourists between October 2022 and September 2023, marking a triple of the revenue generated during the pandemic era.

These statistics were contained in a recent report by the Ghana Statistical Service, titled “Ghana International Travellers’ Survey (GITS).” The report revealed that Q3 2023 alone saw a 61.6% surge in arrivals compared to Q4 2022.

Per the report, a total of 901,448 international visitors travelled to Ghana, with 888,584 of them being inbound overnight visitors.

These are foreign nationals who entered Ghana and stayed at least one night, making up 98.6% of all inbound arrivals. Their spending contributed the bulk of the ₵15.2 billion in tourism revenue.

On the other hand, inbound same-day visitors—travellers who entered Ghana but did not stay overnight, often crossing borders for business, shopping, or transit—numbered 12,864 and contributed ₵24 million to the economy.

For the overnight visitors, there were 543,392 males and 345,192 females. Inbound same-day visitors also totalled 12,864, with males numbering 8,214 and females 4,650.

This shows that there were more males than females among the travellers. Most of these visitors were transit passengers, especially from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Liberia.

One of the main purposes for these visitors, according to the report, was to visit friends and relatives. Business and professional travel dominated in Q4 2022, accounting for 46.9% of overnight visits. Same-day visitors were mostly transit passengers, especially in late 2023.

Visitor numbers peaked in Q3 2023, when arrivals surged by 61.6% compared to Q4 2022, driven by a wave of tourists from West Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

“Over the period, the highest expenditure for inbound overnight visitors from each continent was recorded in Q3 2023. Inbound overnight visitors from Africa and America made the highest expenditure of GHS 1.8 billion and GHS 1.5 billion, respectively,” the report highlighted.

Also, according to the report, “the average length of stay of an inbound overnight visitor is 12 nights. Inbound overnight visitors from Asia have the longest stay across all quarters, ranging from 21 to 28 nights, whereas those from Africa have the shortest stay (7 to 8 nights).”

Accommodation and food were the biggest beneficiaries, taking up nearly 63% of total spending. Hotels saw rising demand, with stays climbing to 146,571 in Q3 2023. Business and professional travellers topped the spending charts, contributing GHS 2.7 billion in a single quarter, while American tourists recorded the highest per-capita expenditure at GHS 28,233.

Also, per the report, many visitors to Ghana had tertiary education and were aged 36 to 64. During their visit, same-day visitors mostly preferred to visit the Bisa Abrewa Museum, Cape Coast Castle, National Museum, and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Overnight visitors also preferred Independence Square & Arts Centre, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, and the Cape Coast Castle.

Given the current milestone chalked by the tourism industry, the GSS made some recommendations to maximise the economic and developmental potential of inbound overnight tourism, targeting three particular stakeholders: the government, private sector/businesses, development partners, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

For the government, GSS made three recommendations. It suggested a collaboration between the government—first, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture (MoTCCA)—to partner with embassies, chambers of commerce, and diaspora groups to run special campaigns aimed at Americans, Europeans, businesspeople, and professionals, because these visitors spend the most money. GSS recommends that special packages be introduced to make travelling to Ghana attractive to tourists.

According to the report, a total of 901,448 international visitors traveled“ Specific packages could include diaspora homecoming events, international business conferences, and cultural tourism promotion,” GSS noted in the report.

Also, GSS suggested that the government take advantage of ECOWAS’ free-movement protocols to design packages for West African nationals visiting Ghana.

It said, “The Government should collaborate with stakeholders to leverage ECOWAS free movement protocols to create cross-border packages tailored to business and professional, visiting friends and relatives (VFR), and vacation markets, particularly from Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone,” adding that priority should be given to facelifting tourism site infrastructure facilities, especially the ones preferred by these tourists.

“Prioritise infrastructure upgrades at high-traffic heritage and eco-tourism sites such as Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, Kakum National Park, and the Arts Centre. Investments should also focus on expanding and modernising shopping and culinary infrastructure through tax incentives,” it continued.

GSS also urged private sector business owners, specifically those who run restaurants, eateries, and accommodation services, to expand their services to accommodate the growing numbers. It recommended that retail and culinary investments, “…seize opportunities to expand shopping and dining experiences by developing open-air markets, renovating malls, and hosting themed food festivals. Strengthening the retail and culinary ecosystem can increase visitor spending and improve Ghana’s appeal as a diverse tourism destination.”

For hospitality, GSS urged, “Private investors and operators should partner with government initiatives to deliver modern accommodation facilities, ensuring a wider range of affordable and high-quality lodging options for inbound tourists.”

Development Partners and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were also advised, “…development partners, in collaboration with MoTCCA and GTA, should support the rollout of a National Tourism App offering real-time access to attractions, maps, booking services, safety alerts, and translation tools. Partnerships with technology firms can also deliver virtual guides and itinerary planners to enhance the experience of self-arranged tourists.”

Another recommendation for CSOs and development partners includes providing “tourist support services by introducing multilingual tourist help desks at major entry points (airports, land borders, ports), providing both physical and digital support for international visitors. This will improve visitor satisfaction, safety, and accessibility, especially for non-English-speaking tourists.”