Ghana has recorded a 15.5 percent increase in international tourist arrivals between 2009 and 2011, according to the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).
Mr. Kwame Gyasi, the Volta Regional Manager of the GTA was cited in a news release by the Authority saying tourist arrivals at the six prominent community tourism sites in 2009 was 16,625.
According to him the country earned more than GH₵20,249.04 from the sector in 2009. He also said tourist arrivals increased to 31,385 and receipts increased to over GH₵110,390.56 in 2010 with arrivals increasing at 75 percent to 54,874. The income he said rose 61 percent to more than GH₵180,000.
Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum (WEF), estimates that Ghana made over $500 million from the travel and tour sector in 2010. This amount according to the WEF has contributed 2.8% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In a report titled World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel & Tourism (T&T) Competitiveness Report 2011, Ghana was ranked 123 out of 139 countries that the report covered. The report was released March 10, 2011.
The country also ranked 67 for overall prioritization of the sector with an average government spending on the tourism industry. Under ensuring excellent destination-marketing campaigns to attract tourists, and collecting tourism data in a timely fashion, Ghana ranked 100.
The GTA has recently relaunched what it calls the ‘homestay’ tourism concept to increase international tourist arrivals in the country. The concept gives visitors the opportunity to live in rural communities with host families, it said. It was first started in 1995 with 14 sites.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi