Tourism in Ghana is regulated by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture. This ministry is responsible for the development and promotion of tourism related activities in Ghana.[1]
Tourist arrivals to Ghana include visitors from South and Latin America, Asia and Europe.It has waterfalls such as Kintampo waterfalls and the Tagbo Falls along with palm-lined sandy beaches, caves, mountains, rivers, castles, forts, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, nature reserves and national parks.[2]
Beach resort and seaside resort setting in Central region.
The World Economic Forum statistics in 2010 showed that Ghana was ranked 108th out of 139 countries as the world's favourite tourism destination.[3] The country had moved two places up from the 2009 rankings. In 2011, Forbes Magazine, published that Ghana was ranked the eleventh-most friendly country in the world.[4] The assertion was based on a survey conducted in 2010 of a cross-section of travelers. Of all the African countries that were included in the survey, Ghana ranked highest.[3] Ghana ranks as the seventieth-most stable country in the world and as the 58th–most peaceful country in the world.[5]
In 2011, Ghana made $2.19 billion ($2,019,000,000) from the tourism sector, from an estimated 1.1 million international tourist arrivals.[6][7] In 2012, Ghana's tourism sector made $1.7 billion from 993,600 international tourists, providing employment for 359,000 people.[8] Ghana will annually make US$8.3 billion from the tourism sector per year by the year 2027, on the back of an estimated 4.3 million international tourist arrivals.[8][9]
Heritage tourism in Ghana is led by a festival called the Pan-African Historical Festival or PANAFEST.[12] The festival is a cultural event with the intention of increasing the notion of Pan-Africanism and African development. It consists of the festival itself as well as the celebration surrounding Emancipation Day. PANAFEST primarily takes place in two cities, Elmina and Cape Coast, which were the largest slave-trading forts in the nation. The festival takes place over eight to nine days and begins with a ceremonial wreath laying. Events during PANAFEST include carnival day, a journey of return from those located in other nations, Rita Marley's birthday, an academic lecture on the women and youth, a naming ceremony from people from the diaspora, and finally the "Reverential Night".[13]
PANAFEST is a direct manifestation of Ghanaian culture. It is also the appropriation of it and capitalization by the Rawlings administration. Indeed, Rawlings' developed international cultural festivals (including PANAFEST) are sources of income for Ghana.[14]
Appropriated beginnings
Before the Jerry Rawlings administration in 1981, tourism in Ghana was not an effective source of income for the Ghanaian society and was thus a missed opportunity in helping to diversify the Ghanaian economy. The Rawlings administrationappropriatedthe Ghanaian culture and used it as a source of revenue. Through the restoration of castles that were once used for the slave industry, establishment of public memorials honouring the "illustrious sons" of Ghana, coupled with encouragement from the government via incentives for private investments, the Rawlings administration was able to push tourism forward with the cost of capitalizing on Ghanaian culture.
The tourist industry in Ghana is known to promote sustainable tourism that includes: cultural tourism, heritage tourism, recreational tourism, adventure tourism and event tourism. Cultural tourism focuses on festivals and events, whereas heritage tourism focuses on the history of the slave routes.[citation needed] Recreational tourism allows tourists to explore beaches and theme parks. Adventure tourism takes a look at rain forests and game parks, and event tourism focuses on resources and conferences.[citation needed]
Many of the heritage tourism sites highlight the legacy of the African Diaspora and the social composition of communities. As a result, these studies have impacted the tourists' connection to the heritage tourism sites by providing cultural depth to their trading experience.[14][15]
Significance to national development
Tourism is noted to be a significant contributor to Ghana's economic growth and development.[16][17] For several years, Ghana has generated huge sums of revenue from the tourism sector; most especially during the 2019 Year of Return.[18] Tourism generates foreign exchange earnings which boosts up the economy and also facilitates infrastructural development. This sector creates jobs and stimulates local/informal economies.
Transportation and traveling in Ghana
In Ghana, various methods of transportation are used by tourists. The Tro tro is one method of transportation that usually uses a minivan and are used to travel in Ghana.[19] The "hurry cars" are private cars that have set destinations and wait for passengers that are going to the set destination of the hurry car. They are typically found by transport stations and is definitely a more comfortable method of travel as opposed to a Tro Tro. The drivers of hurry cars will usually hold signs or give some type of information letting passengers know the destination they are set to go.[19]
Uber, Bolt[20] and Yango are the major ride-hailing services available.
Major tourist sites
Tourism destinations in Ghana.
Aburi Botanical Gardens – Aburi Botanical Gardens features a diverse collection of tropical plants and is a popular spot for picnics and nature walks
Kakum National Park – Kakum National Park offers opportunities for hiking and wildlife viewing in the rainforest
Digya National Park – Digya National Park is home to a rich array of wildlife, including elephants, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, monkeys, buffalo, warthogs, and numerous bird species.
Mole National Park – Mole National Park is home to elephants, antelopes, baboons, and various bird species.
Ankasa National park – Ankasa National Park is home to an impressive array of wildlife, including various primate species, mammals, and numerous bird species, including the endangered yellow-headed picathartes.
1 2 Jemima., Pierre (2013). The predicament of blackness: postcolonial Ghana and the politics of race. The University of Chicago Press. ISBN9780226923024. OCLC819853928.
↑ Yankholmes, A., & McKercher, B. (2015). "Understanding visitors to slavery heritage sites in Ghan". Tourism Management. 51: 22–32. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2015.04.003.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It lies adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing a border with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east. Ghana covers an area of 239,567 km2 (92,497 sq mi), spanning diverse ecologies, from coastal savannas to tropical rainforests. With nearly 35 million inhabitants, Ghana is the second-most populous country in West Africa. The capital and largest city is Accra; other significant cities include Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi. In 1957 Ghana became the first colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah.
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Cape Coast is a city, a fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District in the Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, and home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea situated to its south. It was also the first capital of Ghana. According to the 2021 census, Cape Coast had a settlement population of 189,925 people. The language of the people of Cape Coast is Fante.
Elmina Castle was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina, also known as Castelo da Mina or simply Mina, in present-day Elmina, Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast. It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, and the oldest European building in existence south of the Sahara.
Kakum National Park, located in the coastal environs of the Central Region of Ghana, covers an area of 375 square kilometres (145 sq mi). Established in 1931 as a reserve, it was gazetted as a national park only in 1992 after an initial survey of avifauna was conducted. The area is covered with tropical forest. The uniqueness of this park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people and not by the State Department of wildlife who are responsible for wildlife preservation in Ghana. It is one of only 3 locations in Africa with a canopy walkway, which is 350 metres (1,150 ft) long and connects seven tree tops which provides access to the forest.
The Central Region is one of the sixteen administrative regions of Ghana. Ashanti and Eastern regions border it to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The Central Region is renowned for its many elite high schools and an economy based on an abundance of industrial minerals and tourism. The Central region boasts of many tourist attractions, such as castles, forts and beaches dotted along the region's coastline.
Articles related to Ghana include:
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The Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture (MoTAC) Ghana is the government ministry responsible for the development and promotion of tourism-related activities in the country.
Kintampo is a town and tourist destination in the Bono East Region of Ghana. It became the capital of Kintampo North Municipal in 2004. Kintampo has a population of 111 000. It also served as the capital of the former Kintampo District. Kintampo also has Senior High Schools (KINSS) which is located at Kyeremankoma, has participated in the National Science Quiz on numerous occasions. Modern Senior High School (MODESS). Kintampo Technical Institute- KINTECH and Centre College Senior High School. There is a College of Health, The Kintampo College of Health and Well-being (CoHK) in the town, which is proposed to become a full fledge University. Most of the population in Kintampo are farmers, with production focused on yams, maize, legumes, tubers and other vegetables. The main ethnicity of Kintampo are the Bono people. There are other settler tribes including the Wangara, Grushi, Grumah, Konkomba, Mo, Frafra and the others.
Kintampo waterfalls is one of Ghana' highest waterfalls located in Bono East. It was formerly known as Sanders Falls during the colonial days. It is located on the Pumpum river, a tributary of the Black Volta, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of the Kintampo municipality, on the Kumasi–Tamale road. It is just after the Falls Rest Stop when moving Northwards, on the right side of the road. This waterfall is hidden in the forest and formed by three main drops, with the longest measuring 25 metres (82 ft), followed by a number of steps and cascades, and the river, which falls about 70 metres (230 ft).
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The Ghana Tourism Authority is a Ghanaian state agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture responsible for the regulation of tourism in Ghana by marketing, promoting, licensing, classifying, researching and developing tourism facilities and services
The Bono East region of Ghana is a new region carved out of the Brong Ahafo region. The capital of the new region is Techiman. This creation of this new region was in fulfillment of a promise made by the New Patriotic Party prior to the 2016 Ghana general election. Upon winning the elections, the President, Nana Akuffo Addo created the Ministry of Regional Reorganization to oversee policy formulation and implementation. In all six new regions are to be created from the existing ten regions of Ghana. The other regions are Bono, Western North, Ahafo, Savannah, North East, and Oti regions.
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Kakum National Park – National Park.
Mole National Park – National Park.
Mole National Park Tourism in Ghana.
Tourist taking photo of elephants with iPad at Mole National Park in Ghana.
Cape Coast Castle – UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Elmina Castle – UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Boti Waterfalls.
