IMANI Centre for Policy and Education has released a comprehensive assessment of Ghana’s tourism sector performance in 2025, revealing mixed results in implementing promises from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto while highlighting persistent challenges facing the industry.
The assessment evaluates government performance against campaign commitments outlined in the 2024 manifesto titled “Resetting Ghana, Jobs, Accountability and Prosperity for All”. The document focused on creating “The Black Star Experience” as Ghana’s flagship culture, arts, and tourism brand aimed at redefining national identity, attracting investments, and increasing tourism arrivals.
Ghana’s tourism sector generated approximately $4.82 billion from 1.29 million international arrivals in 2024, marking the highest annual tourism receipts since the COVID pandemic. This represents 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. Before the pandemic, tourism contributed approximately 5 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), functioning as the fourth largest source of foreign exchange earnings after cocoa, gold, and oil.
The IMANI assessment found that only one of 11 key manifesto promises has been fully achieved. The government successfully revived the Creative Arts Fund, allocating GH₵20 million as seed capital in the 2026 budget to support music, fashion, visual art, and culinary creative industries. The think tank emphasized that disbursement must be transparent and extend beyond Accra to reach creative enterprises across all regions.
Five promises are categorized as in progress. These include reviving the Marine Drive Project, modernizing Centres of National Culture, refurbishing cultural heritage sites, building comprehensive tourism databases, and facilitating international partnerships. The Marine Drive Project, a public-private partnership initiated in 2016 on 241 acres, saw renewed attention when Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie inspected the site in April 2025. A five-member board was inaugurated in December 2025 to oversee completion, with a technical committee expected to review proposals and engage stakeholders in 2026.
The report notes that misuse of funds and weak project governance previously stalled Marine Drive construction. IMANI stressed that strict oversight, transparency, and accountability are essential to prevent further delays and resource wastage. Progress on heritage sites includes the December 2025 reopening of Ussher Fort and James Fort, while restoration work began on six forts and castles following UNESCO standards, with plans to expand to remaining heritage sites in 2026.
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 has cultural centres and craft markets, these lack uniform vision, consistent infrastructure, and strong branding as tourism destinations. IMANI recommends intentional design of cultural villages as tourism products through collaboration with traditional leaders, artists, and relevant stakeholders.
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. Several tertiary institutions, ministries, district assemblies, hospitals, and offices remain inaccessible to people with disabilities.
The report recommends embedding accessibility requirements into tourism licensing and building regulations, mandating basic accessibility standards before license renewal. Financial incentives such as tax reliefs or grants could encourage existing facilities to upgrade infrastructure. Training tourism operators on inclusive design and involving disability organizations in monitoring compliance would strengthen implementation.
The government has not 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 (GHA) urged in January 2025 that part of the one percent tourism levy support the private sector. In April 2025, GHA President Dr. Edward Ackah Nyamike Jr. 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. IMANI recommends establishing a transparent governance framework with a multi-stakeholder committee including representatives from hospitality, creative arts, transport, and local communities.
The government has not reviewed taxes or enhanced incentives for hospitality and broader tourism sectors despite strong industry advocacy. The Ghana Hotels Association has called for consolidating Value Added Tax (VAT), National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), and Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) levies into a single tax to alleviate pressure from inflation, foreign exchange volatility, and high utility costs. IMANI proposes conducting a sector-specific tax audit to identify redundant or overlapping taxes and propose consolidation.
Progress emerged in data collection and digital infrastructure. The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) released results from the Ghana International Travellers’ Survey (GITS) and Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS) in September 2025. Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu described the reports as breakthrough achievements addressing longstanding gaps in tourism statistics. International visitors spent GH₵15.42 billion between the last quarter of 2022 and third quarter of 2023, with overnight visitors accounting for GH₵15.18 billion.
The Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) launched two digital tools: the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform profiling regional investment opportunities and the Ghana Tourism Marketplace facilitating real-time bookings and transactional tracking. On January 3, 2026, GTDC reported encouraging early results from these platforms, highlighting potential to drive investment and boost visitor spending. The 2026 budget announced plans to launch Ghana’s first Tourism Satellite Account following successful execution of tourism surveys.
The assessment identifies multiple challenges constraining sector growth. Fiscal constraints limit infrastructure projects due to broader economic stabilization priorities and delayed public investment execution. Administrative and bureaucratic delays affect implementation, with Marine Drive revealing challenges in procurement, coordination across ministries, and performance accountability. Legacy and project continuity issues mean initiatives inherited from previous administrations face contractual and funding challenges impeding timely delivery.
Private sector stakeholders express concerns over tax policy uncertainty and financing access, suggesting investment remains hesitant absent clear incentives and regulatory stability. A paper by the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Sector Committee in April 2025 identified persistent high travel costs influenced by taxes and regulatory fees, infrastructure limitations especially poor roads and inadequate conference facilities, fluctuating foreign exchange rates affecting pricing and investor confidence, fragmented destination marketing with limited global visibility, and insufficient government engagement in promoting policy reforms and public-private collaboration.
The Ghana Tourism Authority aims to raise the sector’s contribution beyond its current 5.7 percent GDP share. Deputy Director for Corporate Affairs Kofi Atta Kakra stated at the Accra Arts and Crafts Market second edition launch that initiatives will boost arrivals, deepen cultural exchange, and enhance export linkages. GTA is partnering with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Enterprises Agency, and Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to promote exports, allowing local manufacturers to earn from domestic tourism and international market exposure.
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.
