Ghana received 1,303,962 international tourists in 2025, generating an estimated $4.34 billion in revenue, according to Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie.
Speaking on August 10, 2026, during the National Government Accountability Series hearings, Gomashie highlighted the steady growth in visitor numbers compared to 2024, when 1,288,804 arrivals were recorded. Domestic tourism also rose, with 1.68 million visits logged in 2025.
“In 2025, international tourist arrivals reached 1,303,962 people, which is an increase over the 2024 figure of 1,288,804. Domestic tourism grew from 1.68 million visits. Revenue generated from the arrivals in 2025 is $4.34 billion,” she said.
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The minister outlined Ghana’s ten most visited historical sites, including Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Kakum National Park, Bunso Arboretum Eco Park, Cape Coast Castle, Manhyia Palace, Kumasi Zoo, Accra Zoo, Elmina Castle, Shai Hills Resource Reserve, and Aburi Botanical Gardens. Collectively, these sites recorded 1,377,588 visits in 2025.
She noted that only three of the sites are managed directly by the Ministry, while the rest fall under other institutions, highlighting the need for stronger coordination across agencies.
The minister reported that the number of licensed tourism enterprises increased from 6,702 in 2024 to 7,109 in 2025, representing 6.1 per cent growth. The trade sector recorded the strongest expansion, with 18.6 per cent growth during the year.
She explained that the influx of visitors supports a wide range of businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and transport operators, while generating foreign exchange for the economy.
In the hospitality sector, star-rated hotels employed an average of 101 workers per establishment, comprising 80 full-time staff, made up of 80 full-time staff (39 men and 41 women) and 21 temporary workers (12 men and nine women).
“These figures demonstrate the role of the hospitality industry in providing employment while supporting the broader tourism value chain,” Gomashie said, adding that tourism, culture, and the creative arts generate income, create jobs, and promote Ghana’s identity internationally.” She noted.
On the creative arts sector, the minister underscored its wide-ranging impact, noting that the industry sustains livelihoods for artistes, artisans, designers, and performers through diverse avenues such as music, fashion, crafts, festivals, and dance.
She pointed out that Ghanaian cultural exports have become increasingly visible on the international stage, with music genres like afrobeats and highlife resonating far beyond the country’s borders. Fashion traditions, including the smock (fugu), kente, and other textile innovations, have likewise earned recognition as symbols of Ghana’s creative identity.
She also added that a proposed fund for the creative arts was expected to stimulate production, improve the quality of creative content and create jobs, while also strengthening Ghana’s intellectual property position in both local and international markets.
“The fund is anticipated to catalyse production activity, improve content quality, create jobs, strengthen Ghana’s intellectual property for both domestic and international markets,” she said.
Dzifa Ablah Gomashie added that continued growth in tourism and the creative industries presents an opportunity for Ghana to attract investment, expand employment and raise the profile of its cultural assets globally. She argued that by harnessing the energy of its arts and heritage, the country can strengthen its economy while projecting a distinct cultural identity on the international stage.