Ghana’s tourism sector recorded historic gains in 2024 but continues to lag on key policy commitments, with only one of 11 major manifesto promises fully achieved more than a year after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) returned to power.
An assessment by the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education reveals that while international arrivals reached 1.29 million last year and tourism receipts hit approximately 4.82 billion dollars, implementation of the government’s culture, arts and tourism agenda remains uneven. The analysis tracks progress on commitments outlined in the NDC’s 2024 manifesto titled Resetting Ghana, Jobs, Accountability and Prosperity for All, which centered on creating The Black Star Experience as Ghana’s flagship tourism brand.
The sole manifesto promise classified as fully achieved is revival of the Creative Arts Fund, with 20 million cedis allocated in the 2026 budget to support start ups and creative enterprises across music, fashion, visual arts, culinary arts and related sectors. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson announced the allocation when presenting the 2026 budget to Parliament on November 13, 2025, describing the fund as seed capital designed to transform culture into growth and jobs.
IMANI categorized five promises as in progress. These include reviving the Marine Drive Project, modernizing Centres of National Culture, refurbishing cultural heritage sites such as forts and castles, building comprehensive tourism databases and facilitating international partnerships. The Marine Drive Project, a public private partnership initiated in 2016 on 241 acres, received renewed attention when Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie inspected the site in April 2025.
Restoration work was carried out on six historic sites under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) standards in 2025, including Fort Orange in Sekondi, with plans to extend efforts this year. The government also launched new Ghana Tourism Authority initiatives including Fleet Pool Car Rental, Tourism Marketplace and Eco Chest Science Tour aimed at improving transport services, promoting investment and expanding educational tourism.
However, five promises received not started status. The government has not introduced the Cultural Villages concept to showcase Ghana’s diverse culture as tourism products. While Ghana operates cultural centres and craft markets, these lack uniform vision, consistent infrastructure and strong branding as tourism destinations, according to IMANI.
Facilitating investments in tourist facilities for people living with disabilities remains unaddressed. Accessibility represents a major gap across hotels, heritage sites, transport systems and public spaces. On December 3, 2025, marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North Ewurabena Aubynn raised concerns about poor compliance with the Ghana Building Code, which mandates accessibility features in public buildings.
The government has also not modernized existing centres into commercially viable performance spaces in new regions or reviewed utilization of the Tourism Development Levy to ensure equitable distribution across all sectors under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The Ghana Hotels Association urged in January 2025 that part of the one percent tourism levy support the private sector. In April 2025, association President Edward Ackah Nyamike Junior described the current structure under the Tourism Act 2011 as unfair, exclusive and outdated, arguing hotels collect the levy but receive no direct support from the fund.
Over 100 hotels and hospitality businesses in the Central Region risked closure in November 2025 over unpaid tourism levies. These establishments attributed financial challenges to high operating costs, including rising expenses for energy, food, wages and national insurance that reduced profits and slowed investment.
Despite implementation gaps, Ghana’s tourism sector demonstrated resilience throughout 2024. The country welcomed over 1.28 million international visitors, generating 4.8 billion dollars in revenue, marking the highest annual tourism receipts since the COVID 19 pandemic. This represented significant recovery from 2020 when arrivals plummeted to 355,108 visitors, a 68.58 percent decline, with receipts dropping 88.3 percent to 387 million dollars.
International arrivals in 2024 represented a 12 percent increase from the previous year, driven by strong numbers from the United States, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Nigeria alone recorded a 25 percent rise in visitors, reflecting Ghana’s strengthened regional appeal.
Domestic tourism recorded 1.68 million visits to key attractions in 2024, a 19 percent increase over the previous year. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park retained its position as the most visited site, while Kakum National Park and Bunso Arboretum continued to attract nature enthusiasts.
Ghana welcomed 14 cruise ships carrying more than 12,600 passengers in 2024, a 38 percent increase over 2023. Passengers arriving at Tema and Takoradi ports, mostly Americans, expressed high satisfaction, with 88 percent describing Ghana as an ideal tourism destination.
Before the pandemic, tourism contributed approximately five percent to Gross Domestic Product, functioning as the fourth largest source of foreign exchange earnings after cocoa, gold and oil. The Ghana Tourism Authority aims to raise the sector’s contribution beyond its current 5.7 percent GDP share.
IMANI concludes that Ghana’s tourism sector in 2025 demonstrates continuity in demand and emerging data capacity essential for future growth. However, execution gaps persist in implementing major manifesto commitments, particularly around fiscal reforms, infrastructure delivery and strategic diversification. The organization emphasizes that reinforcing implementation capacity, transparency and collaborative stakeholder engagement will prove crucial for building on early momentum and securing tourism as a resilient pillar of economic growth.
IMANI recommends establishing a transparent governance framework with a multi stakeholder committee including representatives from hospitality, creative arts, transport and local communities. The think tank stressed that disbursement of the Creative Arts Fund must be transparent and extend beyond Accra to reach creative enterprises across all regions.
The challenge now is translating visitor growth and policy commitments into sustained infrastructure development, accessibility improvements and investment in cultural heritage, while maintaining transparency and accountability in the management of public resources. Stakeholders in the hospitality and tourism sectors have raised concerns over bureaucratic delays, unclear regulatory frameworks and gaps in fiscal policy, which continue to affect private sector confidence.
