Tourism sector rakes in $4.34bn - Minister touts UNESCO win, digital push

Ghana's tourism sector achieved a significant revenue of $4.34 billion last year, a feat attributed to strategic initiatives including digitization and the introduction of new heritage products. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, highlighted these achievements while presenting the ministry's stewardship report.

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The inscription of Highlife music and dance onto UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is one of the ministry’s proudest accomplishments for the year.

The minister noted that international tourist arrivals increased to 1,306,962 in 2025, a slight rise from the previous year's 1,288,804. Domestic tourism also saw a healthy seven percent increase, with visits climbing from 1.68 million to 1.79 million. Key attractions like the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Kakum National Park collectively drew nearly 1.4 million visitors, representing a substantial portion of domestic site visits.

Further growth was evident in the expansion of licensed tourism enterprises, which grew by 6.1 percent to 7,109, driven largely by an 18.6 percent surge in travel trade businesses. A major accomplishment celebrated by the ministry was the inscription of Highlife music and dance onto UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a recognition expected to boost cultural tourism and create international opportunities.

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Those platforms enabled tourists to book verified experiences online while providing investors with access to data-backed opportunities.

To distribute tourism activity more evenly throughout the year, the ministry launched the 'Black Star Experience,' a year-round program integrating various cultural elements. The sector also embraced the digital economy through platforms like the Ghana Tourism Marketplace, enabling online bookings and providing investors with data-backed opportunities. The 'Accra by Night' tour, a structured night-time tourism product, proved highly successful, validating the government's 24-Hour Economy agenda.

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The 'Accra by Night' tour... accounted for approximately 93 percent of total platform revenue during the December 2025 festive season, which she cited as validation of the government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda.