Data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) Accommodation Unit Survey reveals that domestic travellers dominated the country’s lodging market, recording between 1.87 million and 2.17 million guests per month during the four‑month period, compared with fewer than 40,000 foreign guests each month.
Hostels attracted the highest volume of local stays, peaking at 934,157 in January 2025, while hotels remained the preferred choice for international visitors. The sector logged 34,144 foreign hotel guests in November 2024, the largest monthly figure for the period.
Foreign guests, though fewer, tended to stay longer, averaging three to four nights in hotels versus about two nights for domestic guests. Regional patterns varied: Greater Accra hosted the country’s largest accommodation capacity and drew the most foreign tourists, with 30,588 foreign guests in January, whereas the Central Region saw strong domestic demand, reaching 872,358 local guests in January.
Despite the robust domestic market, the survey highlights significant unused capacity across Ghana’s lodging industry. Room‑day availability ranged from 5.03 million to 5.21 million between November 2024 and January 2025, falling to 4.69 million in February. Occupancy peaked at 2.42 million rooms in December before dropping to 2.10 million in February.
These figures suggest that while the sector relies heavily on local travellers for volume, there is room to improve occupancy rates and boost revenue for operators.
