Tourism

Ghana’s tourism sector is playing an increasingly important role in the country’s development, contributing to both economic growth and job creation. The results of the World Economic Forum’s “Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019” indicate that Ghana has significant opportunity to build competitiveness through its history, culture and abundance of natural sites, raising the country’s international profile as a tourism destination. Tourism provides a significant source of foreign exchange in Ghana, contributing to the government’s tax revenue, economic growth and job opportunities. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture estimated that the sector accounted for 4.9% of GDP in 2018, making it the fourth-largest contributor after cocoa, gold and oil. Tourism supported 602,425 direct and indirect jobs that year, up 10% compared to 2017, when the sector employed 550,000 people. This chapter also contains an interview with Akwasi Agyeman, CEO, Ghana Tourism Authority.