tourism development in ghana

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

The tourism industry in Ghana - statistics & facts

Tourists' spending behavior, tourism contribution to employment, hotels and accommodation, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of tourist arrivals in Ghana 2016-2022

Number of tourist arrivals in Ghana 2022, by country of origin

Share of international tourists in Ghana 2022, by purpose of visit

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Current statistics on this topic.

Contribution of travel and tourism to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Ghana 2019-2023

Leisure Travel

Most visited tourist attractions in Ghana 2022

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Recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals in Africa 2014-2029
• Premium Statistic International tourist arrivals in Africa 2020, by country
• Premium Statistic Tourism sector GDP share in Africa 2020, by country
• Basic Statistic Passport visa free score in Africa 2023, by country
• Premium Statistic Age distribution of tourists in Ghana 2022

Number of international tourist arrivals in Africa 2014-2029

Number of international tourist arrivals in Africa from 2014 to 2029 (in millions)

International tourist arrivals in Africa 2020, by country

Ranking of the international tourist arrivals in Africa by country 2020 (in millions)

Tourism sector GDP share in Africa 2020, by country

Ranking of the tourism sector GDP share in Africa by country 2020

Passport visa free score in Africa 2023, by country

African passports with visa free access to other countries as of January 2023

Age distribution of tourists in Ghana 2022

Age distribution of tourists in Ghana as of 2022

Inbound and outbound

• Premium Statistic Number of tourist arrivals in Ghana 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of tourist arrivals in Ghana 2022, by country of origin
• Basic Statistic Share of international tourists in Ghana 2022, by purpose of visit
• Basic Statistic Main countries of destination of Ghanaian tourists 2021

Number of international tourist arrivals in Ghana from 2016 to 2022

Number of international tourist arrivals in Ghana as of 2022, by country of origin

Distribution of inbound tourists in Ghana as of 2022, by purpose of visit

Main countries of destination of Ghanaian tourists 2021

Distribution of outbound tourists from Ghana in 2021, by country of destination

Expenditure and GDP

• Premium Statistic Tourist spending in Ghana 2008-2020
• Basic Statistic Domestic tourist spending in Ghana 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Share of tourist expenditure in Ghana 2019-2021, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Average daily tourist expenditure in Ghana 2019, by purpose
• Basic Statistic Leisure and business travel spending in Ghana 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Ghana 2013-2028
• Basic Statistic Contribution of travel and tourism to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Ghana 2019-2023

Tourist spending in Ghana 2008-2020

International tourist expenditure in Ghana from 2008 to 2020 (in million U.S. dollars)

Domestic tourist spending in Ghana 2019-2022

Domestic tourist expenditure in Ghana from 2019 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

Share of tourist expenditure in Ghana 2019-2021, by purpose

Share of tourist expenditure in Ghana from 2019 to 2021, by purpose

Average daily tourist expenditure in Ghana 2019, by purpose

Average daily tourist spending in Ghana in 2019, by purpose (in U.S. dollars per tourist)

Leisure and business travel spending in Ghana 2019-2022

Leisure and business travel expenditure in Ghana from 2019 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Ghana 2013-2028

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Ghana from 2013 to 2028

Contribution of travel and tourism to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Ghana from 2019 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

• Basic Statistic Direct contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Africa 2019, by country
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's direct contribution to employment in Ghana 2008-2019
• Basic Statistic Total contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Ghana 2005-2023
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's direct contribution to employment in Ghana 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Employed population in arts and entertainment in Ghana 2021, by gender
• Premium Statistic Employed population in accommodation and food services in Ghana 2021, by region

Direct contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Africa 2019, by country

Direct contribution of the travel and tourism sector to total employment in Africa as of 2019, by country

Travel and tourism's direct contribution to employment in Ghana 2008-2019

Direct contribution of the travel and tourism industry to employment in Ghana from 2008 to 2019

Total contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Ghana 2005-2023

Total contribution of the travel and tourism industry to employment in Ghana from 2005 to 2023

Travel and tourism's direct contribution to employment in Ghana 2008-2021

Number of jobs in travel and tourism in Ghana from 2008 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Employed population in arts and entertainment in Ghana 2021, by gender

Number of people employed in arts, entertainment, and recreation in Ghana as of 2021, by gender

Employed population in accommodation and food services in Ghana 2021, by region

Number of people employed in accommodation and food services in Ghana as of 2021, by region

Attraction sites

• Premium Statistic Most visited tourist attractions in Ghana 2022
• Basic Statistic World Heritage Sites in Africa 2021, by country
• Basic Statistic Number of visits at tourist attractions in Ghana 2016-2022, by residency status
• Basic Statistic Number of visits to the Kakum National Park in Ghana 2016-2022

Leading tourist attraction sites in Ghana in 2022, by number of visits (in 1,000s)

World Heritage Sites in Africa 2021, by country

Number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Africa as of 2021, by country

Number of visits at tourist attractions in Ghana 2016-2022, by residency status

Number of visits at tourist attraction sites in Ghana from 2016 to 2022, by residency status

Number of visits to the Kakum National Park in Ghana 2016-2022

Total number of visits to the Kakum National Park in Ghana from 2016 to 2022

Hotel and accommodations

• Basic Statistic Number of licensed tourist accommodation enterprises in Ghana 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Length of stay in hotels in Ghana 2020
• Premium Statistic Average rate of occupancy of hotel rooms in Ghana 2014-2022
• Basic Statistic Annual contributions of hotels and restaurants to GDP in Ghana 2013-2020
• Premium Statistic Real per capita consumer spending on restaurants and hotels in Ghana 2014-2029
• Premium Statistic Largest hotels in Greater Accra in Ghana 2022, by number of rooms
• Premium Statistic Hotels in the Eastern region of Ghana with the highest number of rooms 2022

Number of licensed tourist accommodation enterprises in Ghana 2016-2022

Number of licensed tourist accommodation establishments in Ghana from 2016 to 2022

Length of stay in hotels in Ghana 2020

Length of stay in hotels in Ghana as of 2020

Average rate of occupancy of hotel rooms in Ghana 2014-2022

Average rate of occupancy of hotel rooms in Ghana from 2014 to 2022, by type

Annual contributions of hotels and restaurants to GDP in Ghana 2013-2020

Contribution of hotels and restaurants to GDP in Ghana from 2013 to 2020 (in million Ghanaian cedis)

Real per capita consumer spending on restaurants and hotels in Ghana 2014-2029

Real per capita consumer spending on restaurants and hotels in Ghana from 2014 to 2029 (in U.S. dollars)

Largest hotels in Greater Accra in Ghana 2022, by number of rooms

Leading hotels in the Greater Accra region of Ghana as of 2022, by number of rooms

Hotels in the Eastern region of Ghana with the highest number of rooms 2022

Leading hotels in the Eastern region of Ghana as of 2022, by number of rooms

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Ghana Tourism Sector

Ghana’s tourism sector is emerging steadily from the Covid pandemic. It remains a significant contributor to Ghana’s GDP and continues to attract foreign investment. Ghana has the potential to further develop tourism infrastructure and services near its well-known historical sites, 334 miles of Atlantic coastline featuring some of West Africa’s most attractive beaches, national parks, and wildlife reserves. There are also opportunities in niche sectors such as water sports, such as surfing, water parks and other entertainment complexes, and ecotourism. 

The Ghanaian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) projects an increase in international tourism arrivals into Ghana in 2022 to one million visitors. Attracting international visitors is key to recovery of the hotel sector, in particular. Domestic tourist activity remains steady at around 800,000 visits annually. The MoTAC anticipates $2.3 billion in revenue for the sector this year, up from $2.1 billion in 2021 during the height of Covid travel disruptions and restrictions.  

President Akufo-Addo launched a new tourism marketing campaign called Destination Ghana in London to attract European and international tourists to Ghana. Local hotels and other tourist sector actors are working to renew their individual marketing strategies, as well. Destination Ghana follows the successful 2019 Year of the Return campaign, a year-long program of activities to recognize the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in the state of Virginia.  The second phase of the Year of the Return campaign, which is called Beyond the Return, was planned for 2020, but was postponed due to the Covid pandemic.  Ghana’s historical sites along the Cape Coast in particular, remain an important destination for U.S. and other international diaspora visitors.  

The Government of Ghana announced the removal of several Covid-related travel requirements. Negative rapid PCR tests are no longer required prior to flying to Ghana and a $150 antigen test upon arrival in Ghana has been phased out, as well.  (As in most countries, these measures, are subject to change depending upon future Covid-related developments).  Now, the only requirement for tourists to visit Ghana is proof of full vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). 

There are a number of specific opportunities that U.S. companies can explore such as: 

• The development of tourist entertainment complexes, including water parks, water sports, and surfing complexes. 
• The development of a waterfront promenade in Accra.
• Refurbishment of key historical sites, including the Cape Coast and Elmina castles as well as the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. 
• Hotels and infrastructure leading to hotel resorts along Ghana’s extensive coastline.  
• The development of tourist facilities and infrastructure along Ghana’s Volta delta and Volta lake, the world’s largest artificial lake. 
• The development of ecotourism in Ghana’s lush, mountainous, eastern region along the border with Togo, which features hiking, coffee plantations, and waterfalls.  
• Infrastructure, tourist services, and accommodations near Ghana’s national parks and wildlife reserves. 

For more information about the tourism sector in Ghana, contact the Rita Adubra-Asante in the Commercial Section of U.S. Embassy Ghana at [email protected] , Tel: +233(0)30-274-1870.     

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Making a digital and financial leap towards sustainable tourism in Ghana

IIMBG Journal of Sustainable Business and Innovation

ISSN : 2753-4022

Article publication date: 19 September 2023

Issue publication date: 7 December 2023

The study investigates the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) and financial development on tourism development in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers employ data covering from 1995Q1 to 2020Q4 and apply the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimation technique.

The findings reveal that ICT exerts a positive significant impact on tourism development in both long- and short-term periods. The authors find that financial development has a negative significant effect on tourism development in the long run. However, financial development significantly increases tourism revenue in the short term. The results further reveal a significant positive link between infrastructure development and tourism receipts in the long run.

Originality/value

This study is a pioneering effort to investigate the impact of ICT and financial development on tourism development in Ghana, as far as the researchers are aware. Additionally, the use of an index of ICT adds novelty to the literature. In terms of policy, the findings of this study can inform policymakers on the importance of investing in ICT and financial development to boost the tourism industry in Ghana.

• Financial development

Musah, A. , Yakubu, I.N. and Shaibu, A.-F. (2023), "Making a digital and financial leap towards sustainable tourism in Ghana", IIMBG Journal of Sustainable Business and Innovation , Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 98-113. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSBI-03-2023-0008

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Alhassan Musah, Ibrahim Nandom Yakubu and Abdul-Fatawu Shaibu

Published in IIMBG Journal of Sustainable Business and Innovation . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

Tourism is among the most prominent and expanding sectors in the world economy. The sector contributes significantly to national growth through diverse means including employment creation ( Manzoor, Wei, Asif, Haq, & Rehman, 2019 ). Tourism also increases a country's foreign exchange reserves and fosters infrastructure and human capital development ( Fauzel & Seetanah, 2023 ). Inarguably, on a global scale, countries have seen an uptick in the significance of the international tourism industry. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimated that the contribution of travel and tourism to the world GDP in 2017 was $8,240.74bn which rose to $8,811bn and $9,127bn in the years 2018 and 2019 respectively.

For developing nations, tourism frequently offers the most environmentally friendly means of economic growth while also lowering the degree of poverty ( Mo, 2021 ). Also, given the low cost of travel, emerging and developing economies continue to receive a large number of tourist arrivals. According to Okupe, Ward, and Adeola (2018) , Africa plays a significant role in the world tourist business due to its cultural and historical landmarks. The demand for tourism in Africa has improved over the past few decades as a direct result of increased investment in the industry by both the private and public sectors ( Adeola & Evans, 2020 ).

In recent times there has been a growing interest in sustainable tourism, which the World Tourism Organisation defines as tourism that takes account of current and future economic, social and environmental impacts while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities ( United Nations Environment Programme, 2005 ). We infer from this definition that the concept of sustainable tourism hinges on the ability of the industry to deliver prosperity to a broad range of actors into the foreseeable future. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) articulates this clearly, arguing that sustainable tourism should deliver viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic opportunities including stable employment and income-earning schemes to all groups thereby contributing to poverty alleviation.

The tourist industry in Ghana has expanded rapidly in recent years and has contributed significantly to the economic growth of the country. There are several distinctive and spectacular tourist sites in Ghana. Given its central location on the globe coupled with a stable political environment, the country is easily accessible and attractive. Travel and tourism contributed to Ghana's GDP to the tune of 3.5bn US dollars in 2018 and 3.8bn US dollars in 2019. The overall revenue from tourism has been increasing in Ghana, as indicated in Figure 1 , especially since the year 2004, notwithstanding volatility in some of the years. For example, there was a significant drop in overall receipts in the year 2020 compared to the previous years. In 2019, total receipts amounted to $1490m, which drastically reduced to $191m in 2020. Similarly, there was a sharp decline in the number of international tourist arrivals in the year 2020 as shown in Figure 2 . Obviously, the reduction in tourism receipts and tourist arrivals in the year 2020 could be attributed to the COVID-19 outbreak, which disrupted travel as a result of the enforcement of several restrictions and protocols by national governments.

Considering the growth potential of tourism in Ghana, there is an urgent need for extensive empirical research to guide policy. In reality, until relatively recently, the majority of empirical research on the drivers of tourism were mostly undertaken in the context of industrialized nations, with an emphasis on its relationships with revenue generation and economic growth ( Baumann & Matheson, 2013 ; Lickorish, 1987 ; Smith, 2005 ). Only a few of such studies are conducted in the developing world, particularly Africa and with little focus on the impact of ICT. This study, therefore, adds a dimension to the discussion by analyzing the short and long-term determinants of tourism development in Ghana by examining the role of ICT and financial development.

The tourism literature has uncovered a number of factors that influence tourism development. However, the role that information and communications technology (ICT) plays in boosting tourism has been largely disregarded in empirical studies, despite the fact that ICT applications have dramatically revolutionized the tourism industry in recent years ( Zaidan, 2017 ; Adeola & Evans, 2020 ). ICT, for instance, makes it easier to promote and sell local tourist services directly to international customers. Thanks to technological advancements, visitors may now exchange information and give feedback on the level of service and the surroundings of tourist destinations ( Farkhondehzadeh et al. , 2013 ). Moreover, in response to the increased competition for international tourism, tourism-related organizations have enthusiastically embraced modern ICTs to boost their competitiveness in the tourism market ( Abrhám & Wang, 2017 ; Lee, Chen, Wu, & Xing, 2021 ).

In essence, ICTs continue to be essential for the tourism industry and offer a wide range of innovative opportunities for tourism growth. Nonetheless, there is currently almost no empirical research exploring the ICT-tourism development nexus in Ghana. As a result, we aim to fill this gap in the literature by empirically investigating whether ICT matters for Ghana's tourism growth.

In addition to ICT, we examine the impact of financial development on tourism development. Tourist decision-making particularly destination choices may be significantly influenced by financial development. From a demand-side perspective, a highly developed financial sector in the host country is likely to stimulate tourism, given that tourists are able to access banking and other financial services while on vacation ( Tsaurai, 2018 ). Financial development also stimulates foreign direct investment (FDI) in the tourism industry, which carries with it several additional benefits including the transfer of cutting-edge technologies and managerial competencies ( Fauzel & Seetanah, 2023 ). While many studies have examined the impact of tourism on financial development (such as Cannonier & Burke, 2017 ; Shahbaz, Benkraiem, Miloudi, & Tiwari, 2019 ; Yenişehirlioğlu & Bayat, 2019 ; Musakwa & Odhiambo, 2022 ; Musakwa, Odhiambo, & Nyasha, 2022 ), there is comparatively little empirical research that examines the impact of financial development on tourism to reinforce the relationship between the two (see Liao et al. , 2018 ; Shahbaz et al. , 2019 ; Fauzel & Seetanah, 2023 among others). Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to add to the little literature on the link between financial development and tourism in the context of Ghana. Essentially, we seek to answer the following research question: Do ICT and financial development influence sustainable tourism in Ghana?

Generally, the contribution of this study is twofold. First, per the researchers’ knowledge, this study presents an initial attempt to specifically examine the impact of ICT and financial development on tourism development in Ghana. Second, given the dimensions of ICT, we use the principal component analysis to construct an index of ICT based on two key indicators of ICT (individuals using the internet (% of population) and mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people) which are commonly employed in the literature. With this, the study departs from the use of single indicators to gauge ICT. Besides, by using ICT index, we are able to reduce the high correlation between the variables. Also, by employing the ARDL technique, we examine the long- and short-run impact of ICT and financial development on tourism development in Ghana.

The rest of the work is organized as follows: Section 2 provides a review of the literature. Section 3 outlines the research methodology. Section 4 presents and discusses the empirical results. Section 5 concludes the study while policy recommendations are documented in Section 6 .

2. Literature review on the determinants of tourism development

The factors influencing tourism development have been extensively investigated in the literature. For instance, Jovanoviä and Ivana (2016) demonstrated that an increase in investment in infrastructure is a significant factor affecting tourism development in Southeast Europe. The empirical analysis of Giap, Gopalan, and Ye (2016) reported that government expenditures on tourism and infrastructural investment significantly drive tourism growth in Malaysia. Yashobanta, Parul, and Chowdhury (2017) also evidenced that increasing government expenditure on tourism and economic development exert a significant positive effect on tourism receipts in Indian states. In a panel analysis, Javid and Katircioglu (2017) found that globalization (in economic, social and political aspects) has a significant impact on tourism development. In assessing the determinants of international tourism demand in Africa, Adeola et al. (2018) applied the Poisson regression model with data covering the years 1995-2015. The study found that institutional quality factors (political stability and absence of violence), real exchange rate, FDI, trade openness and per capita income are the significant variables influencing tourism demand in Africa. Vítová, Harmáček, and Opršal (2019) reported that economic and infrastructure development, political stability and accessibility to destinations significantly influence tourism inflows in Small Island Developing States. Wamboye, Nyaronga, and Sergi (2020) showed that tourist income level and infrastructure development of the host country are the primary factors that determine the demand for tourism in Tanzania. In a comparative study, Nyasha and Odhiambo (2021) investigated the key drivers of tourism development in South Africa, Brazil and Vietnam using data covering the period 1995-2018. Employing the ARDL technique, the findings generally revealed that while political stability and the disposable income of tourists have a positive impact on tourism development, environmental pollution (measured by carbon dioxide emission) and exchange rate negatively influence tourism. Applying the logistic regression, Moghal, Mukhopadhyay, Jena, and Joshi (2021) noted that tourism development in Jammu and Kashmir is influenced by economic stability, poverty alleviation and income generation. Ibragimov et al. (2022) assessed the economic factors driving tourism in Central Asia with data spanning from 2008 to 2018. The authors established that language similarities and common borders boost tourism in Central Asia whereas political instability negatively affects tourism flows in the host country. Khan, Alim, Begum, Han, and Mohamed (2022) revealed that the tourism industry in Pakistan is negatively affected by terrorism and inflation levels, while tourism expenditure enhances the growth of tourism. Soudager & Wani (2023) reported that tourist arrivals in India are reduced by geopolitical risk and real exchange rates. The authors also established that an increase in gross domestic product per capita results in higher foreign tourist arrivals, suggesting a positive correlation between income and tourism. Using data covering the period 1996–2018, Aydin (2022) demonstrated that tourism development in Turkey is positively and significantly driven by political stability and renewable energy consumption. Sharma, Mohapatra, and Giri (2023) documented that currency stability and income are crucial factors that induce tourism in India. Noonan (2023) investigated how cultural amenities affect tourism demand in various European cities. The study results showed that cultural amenities such as landmarks, sights, museums, concerts and shows have a positive impact on tourism demand in the selected cities.

For the impact of ICT on tourism, Adeola and Evans (2020) found that ICT has a significant positive effect on tourism development in Africa. Shehzad et al. (2019) revealed that the emergence of ICT has a significant effect on tourism development in China. Employing different panel estimation methods, Tsaurai and Chimbo (2019) established that ICT significantly enhances tourism development in some selected emerging economies. Kumar and Kumar (2020) documented that ICT positively drives tourism demand in some selected major tourist destinations. Applying the second-generation techniques, Bano, Liu and Khan (2022) reported that tourism in the BRICS economies is motivated by ICT.

Despite the fact that some related studies, including those by Liao et al. (2018) , Katircioglu, Katircioğlu, and Altinay (2018) , Shahbaz et al. (2019) , Goh, Koh, Lee, Gan, and Lee (2020) , Fauzel & Seetanah (2023) , attempted to shed more light on the relationship between financial development and tourism in Asia and a few European countries with mixed results, we believe that the relationship between the two is still relatively new and under-investigated. While the majority of these studies revealed a strong positive correlation between financial development and tourism, few found a negative correlation. By including ICT in our model with a special indicator of the population's access to the internet and mobile cellular subscriptions as a composite variable, and further examining both the short- and long-term impacts, we offer a new dimension to the issue.

3. Methodology

The study employed quarterly data covering from 1995 to 2020. Quarterly data is measured and recorded every three months, or four times a year, and it provides a more detailed view of the underlying patterns in the data compared to annual data. It is important to note that the study focuses on Ghana, utilizing country-level data. This implies that the analysis and findings of the study are based on a representative dataset from the entire country.

The authors collected the data from the World Bank. In accessing the data, the researchers visited the World Bank's World Development Indicators (WDI) database, which provides users with access to a vast array of datasets covering different countries, regions and thematic areas. The researchers navigated through the available datasets and selected the required variables for the study. The data was downloaded into Excel for cleaning and further analysis. In cleaning the data, the authors ensured that it was in a consistent format and thoroughly checked for any inaccuracies or inconsistencies, promptly correcting any errors that were found. This rigorous data cleaning process aimed to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the dataset, ensuring its suitability for analysis.

3.2 Description of variables

The dependent variable is tourism development measured by international tourist arrivals (TARR) and international tourism receipts (TREC) in US dollars. The independent variables of interest are ICT and financial development which are estimated alongside economic growth and infrastructural development as additional variables. In measuring ICT, we use the principal component analysis (PCA) to construct an ICT index based on two key dimensions of ICT. The sub-indices include individuals using the internet (% of population) and mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people). Financial development is gauged by domestic credit provided by the financial sector (% of GDP). The study controls for the effect of economic growth and infrastructure development on tourism development. Economic growth is measured by GDP growth in annual percentage ( Bunyaminu & Yakubu, 2022 ). In line with Adeola and Evans (2020) , we use gross fixed capital formation (% of GDP) as a proxy for infrastructure development.

3.3 Model specification

To examine the impact of ICT and financial development on tourism development, the basic empirical model is specified as: (1) TOUR t   = α 0   + β 1 ICT t   + β 2 FIND t   + β 3 ECG t   + β 4 INFR t   + ε t

From equation (1) , the abbreviations TOUR, ICT, FIND, ECG and INFR are tourism development, information communications and technology, financial development, economic growth and infrastructure development respectively. The error term is denoted by ε and t is the time period. The intercept is represented by α , and β 1 to β 4 are the coefficients of the regressors.

Based on the measures of tourism (TOUR), equation (1) is restated as follows: (2) TARR t   = α 0   + β 1 ICT t   + β 2 FIND t   + β 3 ECG t   + β 4 INFR t   + ε t (3) TREC t   = α 0   + β 1 ICT t   + β 2 FIND t   + β 3 ECG t   + β 4 INFR t   + ε t where TARR and TREC are international tourist arrivals and international tourism receipts respectively.

3.4 Analytical approach

In time series analysis, various techniques are utilized, including the ordinary least squares (OLS), fully modified OLS (FMOLS), autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), vector autoregression and others. In this study, we aim to investigate the short- and long-run effects of ICT and financial development on tourism development. For this purpose, we employ the ARDL model. Compared to other techniques such as OLS and FMOLS, the ARDL method is considered a better technique for a number of reasons. For instance, the ARDL is appropriate for studies with small samples ( Yakubu, 2020 ). The technique is robust to the issue of endogeneity and can be used for both I(0) and I(1) variables, making it more flexible and applicable to a wider range of datasets. Several previous studies (see Aydin, 2022 ; Khan et al. , 2022 ; Soudager & Wani, 2023 ; Sharma et al. , 2023 ) that explored the determinants of tourism development have utilized the ARDL as an analytical technique.

The ARDL method has several assumptions that must be satisfied to obtain accurate and reliable results. These assumptions include the requirement that the variables used in the model should be stationary, or the non-stationarity should be removed through differencing. In addition, there should be no serial correlation or heteroscedasticity, meaning that the residuals of the model should not be correlated with each other and the variance of the residuals should be constant across all observations.

Prior to the ARDL estimation, we assess the level of integration of the variables by using the Phillips–Perron (PP) unit root test which is consistent with the studies by Amaefula (2021) , Firat (2016) , Yakubu, Abokor, and Gedik Balay (2021) . To apply the ARDL technique, the variables are required to be integrated at level (I(0)) or first difference (I(1)). In order to estimate the short-run and long-run effect of our variables, the ARDL model is specified as follows: (4) T O U R t = α 0 + ∑ i = 0 n α 1 i Δ T O U R t − 1   + ∑ i = 0 n α 2 i Δ I C T t − 1   + ∑ i = 0 n α 3 i Δ F I N D t − 1   + ∑ i = 0 n α 4 i Δ E C G t − 1   + ∑ i = 0 n α 5 i Δ I N F R t − 1   + δ 1 T O U R t − 1   + δ 2 I C T t − 1   + δ 3 F I N D t − 1 + δ 4 E C G t − 1   + δ 5 I N F R t − 1 + ρ E C T t − 1 + ε t where Δ is the difference operator. α 1 – α 5 and δ 1 – δ 5 are short-run and long-run coefficients respectively. The coefficient of the error correction term (ECT) is represented by ρ and ECT t−1 is the error correction term lagged by one period.

In analyzing the long-term relationship between the variables, the authors employ bound testing. The null hypothesis, which states that there is no long-run relationship between the variables, is tested against the alternative hypothesis of cointegration as follows: (5) H 0 : δ 1   = δ 2 = δ 3 = δ 4 = δ 5   = 0 (6) H 1 : δ 1   ≠ δ 2 ≠ δ 3 ≠ δ 4 ≠ δ 5   = 0

The upper and lower bounds critical limits are used to test for the presence of cointegration. A long-run relationship is established when the estimated F -statistic exceeds the upper critical bound I(1).

4. Empirical results

4.1 descriptive statistics.

In Table 1 , we present the descriptive statistics of the variables. On average, international tourist arrivals are estimated at 646,226 with a minimum of 286,000 and a maximum of 1,130,307 tourists for the study period. The mean value of tourism receipts is 673.654 million US dollars and it ranged from 30 million US dollars to 1,490 million US dollars. The number of individuals using the internet (as a percentage of the total population) is approximately 13 while those with mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) is approximately 56. Financial development gauged by domestic credit by the financial sector has an average value of 12.677%. The mean of economic growth is 5.531% with a maximum growth rate of 14.047%. Whereas international tourist arrivals, internet users, mobile cellular subscriptions, and economic growth are positively skewed, tourism receipts, financial development and infrastructure development (measured by gross fixed capital formation) are skewed to the left.

4.2 Unit root tests

The unit root test results based on the Phillips–Perron (PP) unit root test are reported in Table 2 . From the test results, while ICT, financial development and economic growth are stationary at level (I(0)), all the variables are integrated at order 1 or show stationarity at the first difference (I(1)). Evidently, our study satisfies the requirements for applying the ARDL model due to the mixed order of integration of the variables.

4.3 Bounds testing for cointegration

Table 3 displays the cointegration test results. We test for the presence of cointegration in two scenarios. First, we consider international tourist arrivals as the dependent variable where ICT, financial development, economic growth and infrastructure development are the explanatory factors. In the second scenario, tourism receipts serve as the dependent variable which is tested together with the explanatory variables. In both cases, the bounds-testing results established a long-run relationship among the variables given that the F -statistics in both scenarios are greater than the upper critical bound value at 1% significance level.

4.4 Regression results

In Table 4 , the regression results on the long-run and short-run impact of ICT, financial development and the control variables on tourism development are presented. The estimates show that in both long- and short-term periods, ICT exerts a positive significant impact on tourism development (measured by both international tourists’ arrival and tourism receipts). This means that advancement in information and communication technologies in Ghana will lead to significant growth in the country's tourism sector. The implication is that ICT allows tourist locations to improve their online presence, which is essential to remain competitive in the international tourism market by enhancing tourism demand and revenues. Our results sync with the findings of prior research that document a positive link between ICT and tourism growth ( Adeola & Evans, 2020 ; Tsaurai & Chimbo, 2019 ; Kumar & Kumar, 2020 ; Bano et al. , 2022 ).

We find that financial development has a negative significant effect on tourism development in the long-run. This shows that the growth of Ghana's financial sector does not influence the decisions that tourists make regarding their travel plans to the country. Our finding refutes the claim that a highly developed financial sector in the host country is likely to stimulate tourism, given that tourists are able to access banking and other financial services while on vacation ( Tsaurai, 2018 ). However, in the short-term financial development significantly increases tourism revenue in Ghana.

As a control variable, economic growth has a significant influence on tourism development in the long-run, though the effect on tourists’ arrival is negative. The inverse relationship between economic growth and tourists’ arrival contradicts the results of Seetanah (2019) and Fauzel & Seetanah (2023) . The short-run results indicate that economic growth significantly motivates tourists’ arrival and reduces tourism receipts in Ghana. The results further document that infrastructure development influences tourism receipts positively in the long-run. Nonetheless, the impact on tourists’ arrival is inimical. For the short-run results, infrastructure development significantly boosts tourist demand but decreases tourism revenue.

For both Models 2 and 3, the coefficient of the lagged error correction term (ECT t−1 ) is negative and statistically significant, and it depicts the speed of the adjustment back to the long-run equilibrium after a short-run shock. The F -statistic and its probability value suggest that the regression models are statistically significant in overall, demonstrating that the independent variables in the models are significant factors determining Ghana's tourism development.

4.5 Diagnostic tests results

The diagnostic tests are reported in Table 5 . By using the Breusch-Godfrey Serial Correlation LM test, we check for serial correlation in the study. Similarly, the heteroscedasticity test is performed to eliminate heteroscedasticity issues in our analysis. At 5% significance level, the test results indicate that there are no serial correlation and heteroscedasticity issues in the study. Also, the Ramsey RESET test is utilized to check for the presence of omitted variables or incorrect functional forms in the regression model. The test results indicate that there is no functional form misspecification. We further infer that there is normal distribution in the study when Model 3 is employed. We test for the stability of the models using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) and the CUSUM of squares. If the CUSUM plot is within the critical bounds, it indicates that the model is stable with no structural change in the relationship over time. However, if it exceeds the bounds, it suggests an unstable model with a structural break or changes in the relationship between variables. In this study, at 5% significance level, the CUSUM and CUSUM of squares plots in Figures 3 and 4 respectively show that Model 2 is stable given that the CUSUM lines are in the critical boundaries. However, for Model 3, though the CUSUM is stable, the CUSUM of squares is not stable as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 respectively.

5. Conclusion

This study assesses the impact of ICT and financial development on tourism development in Ghana using data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators for the period 1995Q1-2020Q4. By applying the ARDL estimation technique, the paper examines the short- and long-run effects of ICT and financial development on tourism development. The ARDL estimation shows that ICT exerts a positive significant impact on tourism development in both short- and long-term periods. We find that financial development has a negative significant effect on tourism development in the long run. However, in the short-term, financial development significantly increases tourism revenue, and the impact on tourist arrivals is insignificant. In the long run, economic growth has a significant influence on tourism development albeit a negative effect on tourists’ arrival. The results further reveal that infrastructure development influences tourism receipts positively in the long run. Nonetheless, the impact on tourists’ arrival is negative. In the short term, infrastructure development significantly enhances tourist demand but reduces international tourism receipts.

6. Implications for policy and practice

We provide the following major policy recommendations based on our findings that might help make the tourism sector in Ghana and other developing nations, especially in Africa, more sustainable: To begin with, ICT should be viewed as crucial to the effective development of tourism in Ghana since it has a positive and significant short- and long-run impact on both tourist arrivals and tourism receipts. Thus, policymakers and key players in the tourism sector should closely monitor ICT trends and advancements to improve operational efficiency, enhance digital marketing strategies and leverage innovative technologies to attract and serve tourists more effectively. This proactive approach to incorporating ICT in tourism can lead to increased revenue and improved overall performance of the sector.

In addition to prioritizing ICT, Ghana should make substantial efforts to integrate well into the global financial market. This integration will enhance the efficiency of banking services provided to residents and foreigners alike. By ensuring accessible and efficient financial services, the country can mitigate the negative long-term impact of financial development on tourism growth. Strengthening financial infrastructure and facilitating international transactions can contribute to a more conducive financial environment for the tourism sector.

Furthermore, building resilient infrastructure that includes park facilities, accommodation options, cultural and arts attractions, transportation networks and interchanges is paramount for attracting tourists and ensuring sustainable tourism growth. With a resilient infrastructure, the country can enhance the overall tourist experience, accommodate larger numbers of visitors and ultimately increase tourism revenue. Likewise, investing in infrastructure not only boosts the tourism sector but also contributes to broader economic development.

While embracing actions that seek to boost tourism, policymakers should also incorporate measures that address environmental concerns to ensure that the benefits accruing from tourism deliver prosperity to all sections of society — current and future generations.

7. Limitations of the study

Although the study carries significance for both literature and policy, there are certain limitations that should be acknowledged. For instance, while this study provides insights into the impact of ICT and financial development on tourism development in Ghana, it is important to note that the findings may not be generalizable to other countries or regions with different economic and tourism development characteristics. Ghana's unique socio-economic and cultural context may limit the transferability of the study's findings to other contexts. Therefore, future studies can enhance the comprehensiveness of the analysis by exploring the impact of ICT and financial development on sustainable tourism development across different country groups or key tourism destinations in Africa. Also, the study only investigated the direct impact of ICT and financial development on tourism, without considering potential moderating variables. Thus, future research should explore the extent to which factors such as institutional quality may moderate the relationship between the variables. This will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between ICT, financial development, institutional quality and tourism development in Ghana. An additional limitation of the study is that it relies solely on the ARDL technique, without using other methods to test the robustness of the findings. To overcome this limitation, future research may consider incorporating other techniques to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results.

International tourism receipts (million US$)

International tourist arrivals

Plots of CUSUM for model 2

Plots of CUSUM of squares for model 2

Plots of CUSUM for model 3

Plots of CUSUM of squares for model 3

Descriptive statistics

Source(s): Authors’ own computation

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Tourism Development Fund aims at GH¢19.6m revenue in 2023

He said since its establishment in 2012, to support the tourism industry in Ghana, the Fund had grown to an appreciable level and was currently doing very well, despite the myriad of challenges.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Essah said “in 2021 we budgeted for GH¢15.1 million and we did GH¢15.18 million. In 2022, we budgeted for GHc16.95 million and as of the end of August, we have been able to achieve GHc14.9 million. Indicating that we have about 2 million to go for the year 2022.”

“Looking at our average collection, it hovers around GH¢1.7 million. So, all things being equal the remaining four months left we are looking at the range of a little over GH¢6 million. So, if we do GHc6 million that is taking an average of 1.5 million per month for the remaining four months we should be able to do GHc20.9 million for 2022,” he added.

Data from the TDF Secretariat of the Ghana Tourism Authority show that payment of the levy accumulated an amount of GH¢11 million in 2017, GH¢16 million in 2018, GH¢18 million in 2019, but experienced a major dip to GH¢10.5 million in 2020 due to COVID-19.

He said on average there were a little over 4000 establishments contributing to the Fund but there were quite a number of them operating but had not availed themselves for licensing and certification, thus if they come on board, they would be able to exceed the target.

Mr Essah, however, noted that for the fund to achieve this target, it was important to increase its fleets of vehicles for monitoring and evaluation and intensify monitoring and evaluation across the country.

He said the key challenges of the Fund include the lack of adequate logistics, including vehicles for operation, lack of compliance, and unclassified payments.

“The tourism establishment always wants us to go after them before they comply and going after them is very expensive. With monitoring, we need to get strong vehicles to be able to monitor. Cost of fuel, and maintenance, among others, also make it difficult to go to every part of the country to do monitoring to make sure they pay.”

The Fund Administrator also indicated that tourism establishments had failed to use their unique numbers, and names of establishments as depositors’ name, when they make payments into the fund, and this usually appeared as unclassified payment, making it difficult to trace to any particular establishment.

He said institutions obliged to pay this levy include, hotels, guest houses, serviced apartments, hostels, lodges, restaurants, traditional catering establishments (chop bars), drinking bars, travel and tour agencies and car rentals, among others.

Mr Essah expressed appreciation to owners of tourism establishments, who have been paying into the fund and assured them that the revenue would be used in a way that would support the industry so that employment and wealth would be created for Ghanaians for our benefit.

He also appealed to tourism establishments operating without licenses and certificates to do so to contribute to the fund at the end of every month to help develop the industry.

The one per cent monthly tourism levy, guaranteed under Legislative Instruments (LI) 2238 and 2239 and mandated by the Tourism Act, 2011, Act 817, is one per cent of the cost payable by patrons of tourism entities and is expected to be the key source of finance for the TDF and to add to the seed money that government is expected to provide for the Fund. It does not replace state funding for tourism but substantially supplements it.

The TDF aims to provide funding for tourism and tourism-related projects and programmes. The Fund is used to sponsor activities including marketing and promotion; capacity building, market research and the development of tourism infrastructure; development and promotion of other entrepreneurial activities within the sector; tourism export activities; and education and training.

Source: GNA

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Sustainable Tourism Development in Ghana; A Case Study of Accra Metropolitan Assembly

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Opinions of Friday, 5 April 2024

Columnist: Joel Degue

Unlocking the tourism potential of Volta Region through AfCFTA

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The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a monumental opportunity for the growth and integration of the African continent. Beyond its economic implications, AfCFTA opens a gateway for cultural exchange, tourism, and the flourishing of the creative arts. In this article, I will explore how Ghana, particularly the Volta Region, can strategically brand and position itself to harness the immense potential of AfCFTA for the development, promotion, and marketing of its tourism, creative arts, and cultural offerings. A Powerful Growing Industry: Global tourism is a multi-trillion-dollar industry. In 2019, the total global tourism industry generated about 9.2 trillion dollars, roughly 10% of the total global economy of about 94 trillion dollars. That's not a small economic sector at all on the global scene. According to statistics, international tourist arrivals in 2019 were about 1.5 billion, with a total revenue of about $2.9 trillion. Africa alone received over 69 million international visitors and generated over 440 billion dollars in revenue. In Ghana, the year 2019 was historic, with the Year of Return hitting home. Over 1.1 million international visitors came to Ghana, the first time Ghana had hit over one million tourists. That year also saw Ghana make total receipts of $3.3 million from international tourist arrivals. If these facts and figures are anything to go by, then AfCFTA presents a far bigger opportunity for Ghana and, for that matter, the Volta Region to leverage on. AfCFTA as a Catalyst for Continental Integration: AfCFTA's primary objective is to create a single market for investment, capital, technology, human resources, goods, and services, promoting free movement of all these and fostering economic collaboration among African nations. This will eliminate trade barriers and protocols, thereby making it easy for the movement of goods and services across the continent. This also creates a conducive environment for tourism, creative arts, and cultural exchange, making it imperative for regions and countries to highlight their unique cultural identities to attract visitors and consumers. Tourism Potential of Volta Region: The Volta Region, endowed with breathtaking landscapes, historical sites, and vibrant cultural traditions, stands as a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. To leverage AfCFTA effectively, Ghana, and specifically the Volta Region, must strategically position itself to showcase the following tourism potentials as the gateway to Ghana: a booming population and a fun-seeking behemoth to the east, Nigeria, and beyond. The region's natural wonders, cultural uniqueness, historical links, and colonial architectural heritage are key attractions for an increasingly interconnected African market and beyond. The region must not only be the land space to cross to Accra and beyond in order to enjoy visiting Ghana. It must be a region to visit too when one arrives in Accra by air in order to really see and claim that one has visited Ghana. Wondrous Landscapes: The Volta Region boasts diverse landscapes and reliefs, from the pristine coastal beaches and serene Volta River and the Volta Lake, the largest artificial lake in the world by land size, to the numerous picturesque waterfalls such as the Wli, Tagbo, and Amedzorfe Falls, to the mountain peaks like Gemi and Adaklu with the highest peak in Ghana, Afadjato, and the luxuriant, moist semi-deciduous forest. These natural wonders present opportunities for water sports, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, leisure, and wellness retreats. The Volta Region can capitalise on these attractions and attract a great number of tourists to the region. Cultural Festivals: The region hosts colourful festivals such as Hogbetsotsoza, Agbogboza, Teza, Sometutuza, Agbamevorza, Gidukorza, Glimetotoza, Apenortoza, Ayimagonuza, Dzawuwuza, Sasaduza, Amuza, Tortsotsoza, etc., celebrating epic and specific events in the history of the various ethnic groups in the region. By promoting these festivals, the Volta Region can attract cultural enthusiasts from across the continent to the region and boost its tourism offer. Historical Sites: With sites such as the Slave Museums at Adafienu and Hedzranawo, the Slave Market at Atorkor, the Slave Home at Ablotsivia/Klikor, the Fort Prinzenstein at Keta, the Cape St Paul Lighthouse at Woe, the German Historical Sites at Kpando, Amedzofe, Kpedze, and Ho, which are all reminders of the region's historical significance in the slave trade, and the colonial links, Volta can attract history buffs and researchers interested in exploring Africa's slave and colonial heritage. Eco-tourism Sites: With the high number of eco-tourism sites in Ghana, the Volta Region can attract nature enthusiasts to the region. Notable eco-tourism attractions include Wli Waterfalls, the highest in West Africa; Tagbo Falls; Tsatsadu Falls; Aflambo Falls; Amedzofe Falls, now with a convoy walkway; Tafi Monkey Sanctuary; Keta-Angaw-Avu Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site; Kalalpa Game Reserve; Kyabobo National Park; Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary; and the Volta River Estuary. All these can meet world-class standards and attract thousands of visitors when given the needed attention. Natural Wonders: Volta Region can also boast of some of the finest landforms in its limestone hills, with the formation of stalagmites and stalactites in the form of caves and grottos. Prominent ones are the grottos of Kpando, the ancestral home caves of Likpe, Nyagbo, and Logba, and the caves and iron workings of Akpafu. These are all tourist attractions that the Volta Region can maximise under the opportunities offered by AfCFTA under tourism. Creative Arts and Culture Development: AfCFTA facilitates the exchange of goods and services, including cultural products. To tap into this, the Volta Region can leverage specific areas with comparative advantages, namely: Cultural Exchanges: Establish partnerships with artists and cultural institutions across the continent for collaborative projects, fostering a rich blend of diverse African art forms. This can be made possible through the instrumentality of Ghana embassies and high commissions abroad and those of other African countries in Ghana. Cultural Heritage Preservation: Implement initiatives to preserve and promote indigenous arts and crafts, ensuring the authenticity of the region's cultural offerings. Today, African countries are stealthily losing their cultural heritage through the influence and infiltration of other cultures. Volta Region must seriously guard against the adulteration of its unique culture that has served it until now and be able to present it to the world in its pure and pristine form. Therefore, the wide variety of drum and dance forms in the region must be promoted as performing arts to entertain tourists. The wide variety of sumptuous foods from the region must be promoted too. Promotion and Marketing Strategies: Digital Presence: Develop a robust online presence through dedicated websites and social media platforms, showcasing the region's cultural, artistic, and tourism offerings. This must be professionally done in order to attract the viewership and followership needed to create a buzz about the region's various touristic, artistic, and cultural offerings. Collaborative Marketing Campaigns: Collaborate with other African nations to create joint marketing campaigns that highlight the continent's cultural diversity and draw attention to specific attractions in the Volta Region. Promotional and aggressive marketing campaigns should be pushed through in African magazines and online portals in order to drive the "Volta Brand" and thereby position the region for real business. Infrastructure Development: In order to accommodate the anticipated influx of tourists and enhance the overall experience, the Volta Region should invest in infrastructure development. This includes upgrading transportation and communication networks, ensuring quality accommodations, and establishing visitor centres that provide information on local attractions. There is also a need to train the human resources in the industry to meet international standards. This includes hospitality actors like hotel and resort owners, travel and tour operators and agencies, catering service providers such as restaurants and other eateries, tour-guiding service providers, transport operators, e.g., bus and car rental service providers, and taxi drivers. Sustainable Tourism Practices: In line with global trends, sustainable tourism practices should be integrated into the development plans. Emphasizing eco-friendly initiatives and community engagement not only preserves the region's natural beauty but also appeals to conscientious travellers seeking responsible tourism experiences. This should be done with the local communities that are close to these attractions. These communities should be educated to know that they are part of the tourism sector through employment and income-generating activities in their communities. Therefore, they can and must contribute to making it sustainable. Development of A Comprehensive Strategic Tourism Plan: In order to drive all these ideas to a successful realisation, there is a need for a strategic tourism development plan. This plan should look at a five-year horizon with a goal for tourism in the region, specific objectives, carefully thought-out strategies, a solid action plan, measurable outcomes, an effective monitoring and evaluation system in place, a destination management organization, and a dedicated vehicle to drive the dream to success. The AfCFTA presents a golden opportunity for the Ghana Volta Region to position itself as a hub for tourism, creative arts, and cultural exchange. By capitalizing on its unique offerings and strategically aligning with the goals of continental integration, the region can unlock unprecedented economic and cultural benefits. As stakeholders collaborate to implement these strategies, the Volta Region stands poised to become a shining example of how AfCFTA can catalyse holistic development and unity across the African continent. Through effective, aggressive promotion and marketing, strategic tourism development initiatives, and country-to-country collaborations, the region can become a beacon, attracting visitors and contributing to the broader goal of an integrated and prosperous African continent. It's possible!

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Positive and Negative Impacts of Tourism Development in Ghana

Tourism is a key industry in Ghana which brings together many people with different social and cultural backgrounds. Ghana is known for its beautiful scenic sites, rich cultural and historical heritage. Tourism development in Ghana is associated with various advantages to the host destinations. It promotes the creation of new friendships and the establishment of partnerships between communities. Tourism development in Ghana has greatly impacted other sectors and sub-sectors that work in coordination with the industry. The number of positive impacts outweigh the negative impacts. Generally, when people come together, their habits and way of living are transformed in one way or the other. Tourism has significantly developed the economic, social and cultural exchanges that take place directly between tourists and the host communities. Besides, it has contributed to job creation and acceleration of the socialization of individuals in some regions. Tourism has greatly promoted income redistribution and the fight against poverty in Ghana. Tourism development greatly impacts the Ghanaian economy and the natural and artificial environment. The destination’s local population and the tourists also benefit from tourism development. General and social advancement that usually accompany any tourism development normally have a positive impact in many areas of the economy; however, the development of the tourism industry can have negative social and cultural effects when the locals start emulating the habits, lifestyle, and dressing code of foreign visitors.

Tourism development contributes to the enhancement of the cultural heritage across many regions in Ghana. It motivates people to invest in local customs and cultures to promote and preserve them. A cultural exchange trip allows tourists to discover cities and all regions in Ghana. Tourists get a chance to learn the language, traditions, and history, to gain the local’s perspective and to master the skills and crafts for which they are known. Typically, tourists approach the local culture respectfully, interested in learning. Tourists participate in the day-to-day life of local hosts, and they stay with them to shop in their local, everyday stores. In the case of students, they attend the local school as another member of the student body. All the people who participate in a cultural exchange learn about the local culture alongside their host family in a completely natural way. Knowledge and understanding are generated, which in turn reduces the historical, cultural, social or natural impact, which is the basis of sustainable tourism. Cultural exchange is a good example of sustainable tourism as it achieves the greatest possible balance between the tourists’ needs and those who receive them. Everyone’s a winner and takes something positive away from the experience, generating knowledge and links that stand the test of time.

Touristic regions are experiencing greater change than it appears; they open on the outside, which can only widen the field of dialogue among cultures and open up new prospects for cooperation among men.

In some cases, the massive arrival of tourists can disrupt the daily routines of the population. Although it should be noted that many social harms often attributed to tourism development may be as much connected to modernization, it is no less true that it is followed by many negative phenomena such as drug addiction, child labor and sometimes prostitution as it is the case in many African seaside resorts. The strong urbanization of tourist sites, including the interest given to coastal areas, also promotes environmental degradation. However, it does not diminish the important role of this sector in socialization and exchanges among people. This experience is based on a different philosophy, which is, in turn, based on a hunger to learn and share knowledge.

The Ghana HIT

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• About MoTAC
• Management Team
• Directorates & Units
• History & Institutional Memory
• Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA)
• Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB)
• National Theatre of Ghana (NTG)
• National Commission on Culture (NCC)
• Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC)
• Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park (KNMP)
• W.E.B. Du Bois Centre
• Hotel Catering and Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT)
• Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL)
• National Folklore Board (NFB)
• Pan African Writers Association (PAWA)
• National Film Authority (NFA)
• Creative Arts Agency (CAA)
• Tourist Information
• Tourist Sites
• Drama/Theater
• National Register – Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ghana
• Events Calender
• Press Releases
• Right to Information (RTI)
• Publications

Responsibilities of the Agency

The Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited (GTDC) is:

→ To promote and mobilize resources for investment in tourism undertakings and services.

→ To seek equity participation in joint ventures with Ghanaians as well as foreign concerns and individuals in tourism development projects.

→ To provide financial and technical assistance for small businesses in the tourism industry and improve the efficiency and level of their services.

→ To carry on any other business which may conveniently render profitable the operations of the Company or enhance the property values or rights of the Company.

Details of Activities

→ Undertakes Tourism investments and development of Tourism infrastructure. → Management of tourist sites: → Assin Manso Slave River Site → Big Tree Tourist Site → Kwahu-Atibie Receptive Facility → Offers commercial services: → Vehicle Rentals → Tour Operations → Event Management → Tourist Site Management → General Hospitality & Concierge services – provision of Hotel, Conference & Meeting Facilities and Airport Transfers (Meet & Greet).

GTDC Website gtdcgh.com 

• Sunday, April 07, 2024

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Africa Peace, Investment and Tourism Summit: Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Nigeria to give keynote address

A ccra, April 02, GNA – Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Africa’s Peace, Investment & Tourism Summit in Ghana.

The annual event, scheduled from 15th to 17th April 2024, is a convergence of visionaries, change-makers of Peace, Security and Investments from within the continent of Africa and the diaspora.

The keynote address will be on the theme: “Peace and Security – A Panacea For Africa’s Underdevelopment”.

Bishop Kukah is a tireless advocate for justice, democracy, and human development.

He is a priest and political scientist and has served as a member of Nigeria’s Truth Commission, as secretary of the Political Reform Conference for Nigeria, and as a member of Nigeria’s Electoral Reform Committee.

He played an important role in negotiating an end to the Shell-Ogoni conflict in Nigeria’s delta region.

Bishop Kukah is also said to champion respectful Christian-Muslim relations, and served as chairman of the Committee on Interreligious Dialogue in Nigeria and West Africa and was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

The Summit will also feature the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Mr John Dramani Mahama, a former President of Ghana, Ambassador Orok Orok of Nigeria, Dr Sonny Allison, and others.

Mr Orok Orok is the Head of African Foreign Direct Investment and International Business Engagements (African Region) at the International Society of Diplomats (ISD).

He is the CEO of Concepts Du Dynamics Limited (CDDL) and has served in various capacities, which include, Special Assistant to both the Former Minister of Finance and Former Minister of Niger Delta, respectively

Mr Orok Orok is also a strategy and Planning Director with a renowned Organization which cuts across the UK, Europe, USA and Canada.

The Summit, organised by the David Douglas Leadership Forum (DDLF) in partnership with the Office of the Ga Mantse – HRM King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II (President of Ga Traditional Council), is to unite diverse stakeholders with a focus on fostering Peace, Investment and Tourism in Africa.

From its inception a couple of years ago, the primary objective of the Summit has been to cultivate a positive and inclusive environment, inspiring and empowering individuals and communities, vis a vis nations, and by extension, the entire continent of Africa, to contribute to a future marked by Peace and Security, Prosperity and Sustainable development.

This year’s Summit, to be held at the Accra International Conference Center (ICC), will serve as a vital platform for stakeholders to foster collaboration and identify investment opportunities, as well as tourism potentials, that can drive economic growth, job creation, and overall community development.

Community, political and business leaders will be given the opportunity to showcase their unique potential and engage investors to explore possibilities for industrialization and economic growth, ultimately leading to increased employment and a decrease in the unemployment rate on the continent.

This year’s summit is expected to be the largest ever, with more countries in Africa, such as South Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo and the Republic of Benin being represented.

Others are Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, and Niger.

Being an African event with a global reach, The United States of America, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago would be collaborating to make the summit grand and memorable, a news brief said.

It said beyond economic considerations, the Summit underscored the vital impact of leadership in championing peace and community development, with breakout sessions and speeches by seasoned speakers, inspiring participants to become catalysts for positive change in their communities and nations.

The summit will place the spotlight on the pivotal roles of creative arts in bridging cultural differences and promoting social cohesion.

The Summit does not only emphasize economic and leadership roles and contributions but also recognises the significance of tourism and cultural exchange, by promoting the rich cultural heritage of the African continent.

It seeks to strengthen Regional unity, collaboration, innovation, and knowledge transfer.

Other organising partners are Star Galaxy Media UK, Enlightening and Empowering People with Disabilities in Africa (EEPD Africa), Luxurious Living USA, SunRays Group – Nigeria, Maurya Infotech Services – India, and K-Pentag LLC – Finland.

Sri Lanka's Economy Shows Signs of Stabilization, but Poverty to Remain Elevated

COLOMBO, April 2, 2024 —Sri Lanka’s economy is projected to see moderate growth of 2.2% in 2024, showing signs of stabilization, following the severe economic downturn of 2022. But, the country still faces elevated poverty levels, income inequality, and labor market concerns, says the World Bank's latest bi-annual update.

Released today, the Sri Lanka Development Update, Bridge to Recovery, highlights that Sri Lanka saw declining inflation, higher revenues on the back of the implementation of new fiscal policies, and a current account surplus for the first time in nearly five decades, buoyed by increased remittances and a rebound in tourism.

However, poverty rates continued to rise for the fourth year in a row, with an estimated 25.9% of Sri Lankans living below the poverty line in 2023. Labor force participation has also seen a decline, particularly among women and in urban areas, exacerbated by the closure of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Households are grappling with multiple pressures from high prices, income losses, and under employment. This has led to households taking on debt to meet food requirements and maintain spending on health and education.

“Sri Lanka’s economy is on the road to recovery, but sustained efforts to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis on the poor and vulnerable are critical, alongside a continuation of the path of robust and credible structural reforms,” emphasized Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka . “This involves a two-pronged strategy: first, to maintain reforms that contribute to macroeconomic stability and second, to accelerate reforms to stimulate private investment and capital inflows, which are crucial for economic growth and poverty reduction.”

Looking forward, the report projects a modest pickup in growth of 2.5% in 2025, with a gradual increase in inflation and a small current account surplus. However, high debt service obligations are expected to exert pressure on fiscal balances. Poverty rates are anticipated to remain above 22% until 2026. Risks to the outlook remain, particularly related to inadequate debt restructuring, reversal of reforms, financial sector vulnerabilities, and the enduring impact of the crisis. The report emphasizes that strong reform implementation will be fundamental to fostering a resilient economy through continued macro-fiscal-financial stability, greater private sector investment, and addressing risks associated with state-owned enterprises.

The Sri Lanka Development Update  is a companion piece to the  South Asia Development Update ,  a twice-a-year World Bank report that examines economic developments and prospects in the South Asia region and analyzes policy challenges faced by countries. The April 2024 edition, Jobs for Resilience , projects South Asia to remain the fastest-growing region in the world, with growth projected to be 6.0% in 2024- driven mainly by robust growth in India and recoveries in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But this strong outlook is deceptive, says the report. For most countries, growth is still below pre-pandemic levels and is reliant on public spending. At the same time, private investment growth has slowed sharply in all South Asian countries and the region is not creating enough jobs to keep pace with its rapidly increasing working-age population. The report recommends a range of policies to spur firm growth and boost employment as well as help lift growth and productivity and free up space for public investments in climate adaptation.

Source: World Bank, Poverty & Equity and Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment Global Practices. Emissions data sourced from CAIT and OECD.

Notes: e = estimate, f = forecast.

(a)    Components of GDP by expenditure for 2020-2022 are estimates, as the data published on March 15, 2024, by authorities only included GDP by production.

(b)    Calculations based on SAR-POV harmonization, using 2019-HIES. Actual data: 2019. Microsimulation that models sectoral GDP growth rates, inflation, remittances, employment, and cash transfers 2020-2022. Nowcast and forecast (2023-2026) use nominal GDP growth rates by sector and CPI inflation.

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