Tourism consultant and analyst Emmanuel Frimpong told the Ghana News Agency in Accra that Ghana’s 2026 Budget has set a promising trajectory for the tourism, arts and culture sector, but many commitments remain in the preparatory or early implementation stages.
Frimpong highlighted the launch of the Ghana Tourism Marketplace and the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform as pivotal steps toward improving market access for tourism businesses and connecting investors with opportunities in hotels, attractions and community‑based enterprises.
He also praised initiatives such as AfroGastro, which promotes Ghanaian cuisine in hospitality settings, and ongoing renovation works and facility upgrades at the National Theatre.
"The establishment of digital platforms and the release of funds are commendable," Frimpong said. "But the industry needs corresponding improvements in infrastructure, access to financing, business growth and sustainable job creation."
Despite the sector’s gains, Frimpong warned that the benefits of the new interventions are not yet evenly distributed, especially for small tourism businesses outside the country’s major tourist hubs. He cited poor access roads, inadequate financing, limited digital skills, weak marketing capacity and insufficient visitor facilities as major challenges.
Frimpong stressed that digital promotion must go hand in hand with physical infrastructure development. "Tourists can discover destinations online, but the quality of roads, sanitation, security, accommodation and visitor services ultimately determines their experience," he added.
In 2025, Ghana recorded 1,306,962 international tourist arrivals, generating an estimated US$4.34 billion in revenue. Domestic tourism visits rose from 1.68 million in 2024 to 1.79 million in 2025, while licensed tourism enterprises grew by 6.1 % and travel trade enterprises by 18.6 %. Frimpong cautioned that these figures largely reflect the sector’s performance in 2025 rather than the 2026 Budget’s impact.
Frimpong called for more detailed data on jobs created, businesses benefiting, funds disbursed, private investments attracted and revenue generated. He urged the government to release approved budgetary allocations on time, complete outstanding infrastructure projects, improve tourism data systems and provide accessible financing for small and medium‑sized enterprises in the tourism and creative industries.
He also advocated for a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) to give a clearer picture of tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and national revenue. Strong collaboration among the government, private sector operators, local authorities and communities, he said, is essential to translate tourism growth into improved livelihoods.
Frimpong concluded that the sector’s success should be measured not only by visitor numbers but also by the income retained in local communities, sustainable jobs created and the commercial viability of tourism businesses.
