Ghana’s home tourism spending hits GH₵6.59bn in 2023 — GSS – Life Pulse Daily

Introduction

In 2023 Ghana’s home tourism entrepreneurship reached a milestone, producing GH₵6.59 billion in overall expenditure. The determine comes from the Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS) printed via the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). This article unpacks the information, explains its importance for nationwide making plans, and gives sensible business owner for stakeholders excited by tourism expenditure Ghana and home go back and forth Ghana. By the top of this piece you’ll know how the survey is structured, what the numbers divulge about regional go back and forth movements, and the way policymakers can leverage those insights to spice up sustainable asset allocation.

Key Points

Overall Expenditure Figure

The DOTS reality sheet confirms that Ghanaian travellers spent GH₵6.59 billion on home journeys all over 2023. This quantity displays each similar‑day and in a single day trips and underscores the entrepreneurship’s contribution to family industry and native economies.

Visitor Volume

Domestic tourism recorded 15,388,978 visits all the way through the yr, highlighting the sheer scale of intra‑nationwide go back and forth.

Spending Distribution

Expenditure was once break up between similar‑day guests (GH₵1.83 billion) and in a single day guests (GH₵4.76 billion), appearing that longer remains generate upper financial management.

Geographic Concentration

Southern Ghana dominates go back and forth movements, with the Ashanti Region and Greater Accra Region every receiving over 300,000 similar‑day guests and greater than 250,000 in a single day visitors in line with quarter.

Purpose of Travel

Social go back and forth stays the principle driving force: visiting buddies and kinfolk accounts for kind of 70 % of similar‑day journeys and over 80 % of in a single day journeys. Funeral attendance additionally performs a notable position, representing a minimum of 29 % of similar‑day journeys and 39.7 % of in a single day journeys.

Policy Implications

Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician, stresses that the survey supplies the statistical spine for aligning home tourism with the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Background

Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS)

The DOTS reality sheet is a part of Ghana’s broader tourism dimension structure. It is designed to counterpoint the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which quantifies tourism’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By amassing detailed knowledge on travel frequency, length, objective and expenditure, DOTS allows policymakers to evaluate the well being of the entrepreneurship and to technological advance centered interventions.

Methodology

Data have been accrued thru structured questionnaires administered to families and travellers around the nation. The survey captures knowledge on:

• Travel dates and locations
• Accommodation kind
• Transport mode
• Expenditure classes (meals, accommodation, leisure, and so forth.)
• Travel objective (recreational, organization, visiting kinfolk, funerals, and so forth.)

These variables are then aggregated to provide nationwide estimates, which might be benchmarked towards cross-border requirements set via the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Alignment with International Frameworks

Ghana’s monetary resources guarantees comparison with cross-border tourism statistics, facilitating participation in UN SDG reporting and enabling benchmarking towards peer economies.

Analysis

Economic Value of Longer Stays

Overnight guests contributed GH₵4.76 billion, representing kind of 72 % of overall home tourism approach. This disproportionate price stems from upper spending on lodging, foods, and ancillary products and services.

Regional Insights

Travel focus in southern Ghana may also be attributed to:

• Higher inhabitants density
• Better street and shipping infrastructure
• Greater focus of cultural and historic sights

The Ashanti and Greater Accra areas function hubs, however rising locations within the Upper East and Upper West areas are starting to draw modest customer numbers, indicating possible for varied tourism capital.

Travel Purpose Breakdown

Social go back and forth dominates, with visits to buddies and kinfolk accounting for just about 70 % of similar‑day journeys. Funerals, a culturally vital tournament, constitute a considerable percentage of each similar‑day (29 %) and in a single day (39.7 %) go back and forth, reflecting the significance of communal responsibilities in go back and forth choices.

Implications for the Tourism Satellite Account

By offering tough, granular knowledge, DOTS allows the TSA to provide extra correct estimates of tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and returns. This, in flip, helps proof‑primarily based coverage making and draws personal‑entrepreneurship returns.

Practical Advice

For Government Planners

1. Prioritise the capital of secondary street networks that attach top‑possible rural spaces to primary city centres. Improving accessibility can extend the geographic unfold of home tourism.

2. Integrate DOTS findings into regional capital plans, making sure that price range allocations for shipping, hospitality and cultural programming mirror precise go back and forth movements.

3. Use the information to formulate centered incentives for Small and Medium‑Sized Enterprises (SMEs) running in tourism‑comparable sectors, similar to homestays, native guides and craft markets.

For Private Sector Stakeholders

1. Design reasonably priced, versatile go back and forth programs that cater to self‑arranged travellers, particularly the ones searching for quick‑length journeys to discuss with kinfolk.

2. Leverage the top percentage of funeral‑comparable go back and forth via partnering with group organisations to provide bundled products and services (shipping, lodging, catering).

3. Emphasise stories that capitalise on regional cultural heritage, similar to fairs, conventional fairs and heritage web page excursions, to draw repeat visits.

For Academic and Research Institutions

1. Conduct longitudinal research that observe adjustments in home go back and forth behaviour submit‑2023, the use of DOTS as a baseline.

2. Explore the correlation between home tourism expenditure and family welfare signs, similar to industry diversification and asset accumulation.

3. Investigate the environmental affects of larger home go back and forth, informing sustainable tourism projects.

FAQ

Conclusion

The 2023 Ghana home tourism spending determine of GH₵6.59 billion illustrates a colourful and increasing entrepreneurship that performs a pivotal position within the country’s economic system. With 15.4 million home journeys recorded, the information divulge a transparent desire for social go back and forth, a focus of job in southern Ghana, and a considerable financial contribution from in a single day remains. By integrating those insights into coverage frameworks, making improvements to infrastructure, and fostering group‑primarily based tourism, Ghana can strengthen the distribution of tourism advantages, fortify the Tourism Satellite Account, and advance its commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Stakeholders throughout govt, the non-public entrepreneurship, and academia have a shared duty to translate those statistics into actionable methods that maintain asset allocation and advertise inclusive capital.