By: Kobina Baidoo
The latest Ghana Tourism Report has indicated that Ghana achieved a major milestone in 2023, recording an unprecedented number of domestic visitor arrivals, totaling approximately 1,407,709.
The report indicated that domestic tourism was enforced by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority during the post COVID era to ignite the curiosity of Ghanaians in exploring their own country.
The roll-out of tourism initiatives introduced by the sector in 2019 such as ‘See Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana’ predominantly created the desire of inbound travel and domestic tourism for tourists both in Ghana and in the diaspora.
According to the report, just at the progressive record of domestic visitor arrivals rounding to 669,331 domestic visitors in 2019, the sector was stymied by the emergence and long-standing effects of COVID 19 in 2020. “In 2019 Ghana registered 669,311 domestic visitors, However, this number plummeted by 69% in 2020 due to the pandemic’s disruptive effects on travel and tourism.” parts of the report under domestic tourism read.
However, the tourism sector in 2022 made a significant recovery in the domestic visitor counts, recording a total of 945,405 at attraction sites marking a 49% year-on-year growth.
2023 marked the year of an exceedingly notable increase in domestic tourism visits experienced in Ghana, with residents representing a majority of 83% and non-residents recorded up to 17%. “By 2023 domestic visitor arrivals surpassed pre-COVID figures by a striking 110% underscoring a robust rebound in domestic tourism. Residents accounted for the majority at 1,161,474 visits, making up 83% of the total while non-residents contributed 17%.”
