International Tourism Receipts Fall 10% Despite Ghana Recording More Visitors in 2025

Ghana’s international tourism receipts declined by 10.14 per cent in 2025, falling from $4.83 billion in 2024 to $4.34 billion, according to the newly released 2025 Ghana Tourism Report. The drop came even as the country recorded more international visitors, raising questions about visitor spending patterns and the effectiveness of tourism revenue strategies.

Ghana recorded 1,306,962 international tourist arrivals in 2025, representing a 1.4 per cent increase over the 1,288,804 arrivals recorded in 2024. The figures underscore the country’s continued appeal as a leading tourism destination in Africa, but the simultaneous decline in receipts suggests that visitors may be spending less per trip or that the composition of arrivals is shifting toward lower-spending segments.

“The growth underscores the sector’s ability to maintain its upward trajectory following recent gains in visitor arrivals and tourism revenues,” the Ghana Tourism Authority stated in a press release accompanying the report.

Domestic Tourism Remains Strong

Domestic tourism remained a major pillar of the sector, with more than 1.79 million visits recorded at 55 tourist sites across the country. The figure reflects increasing participation in local travel and tourism activities, a trend that has been building since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted more Ghanaians to explore destinations within their own borders.

The number of licensed tourism enterprises rose from 6,702 in 2024 to 7,109 in 2025, while travel trade activities expanded by 18.6 per cent. The entertainment and conference segment registered a 14.3 per cent growth, signalling increasing demand for tourism-related services and events.

Cruise tourism continued its steady expansion, with 18 cruise ship calls and 5,488 passengers arriving through the ports of Tema and Takoradi during the year.

December Continues to Drive Arrivals

The report revealed that international arrivals in December rose from 126,791 in 2024 to 141,186 in 2025, representing an 11.35 per cent increase. The December surge builds on the momentum documented when Ghana recorded an 11.35 per cent rise in December 2025 international arrivals, confirming the festive season’s growing importance to the tourism calendar.

December has become synonymous with heightened tourism, arts and cultural activities in Ghana. Branded as “December in GH” and popularly known as “Detty December”, the festive season attracts thousands of visitors from across the world, particularly members of the African diaspora who travel to the country for concerts, festivals, nightlife experiences, cultural events and heritage tourism.

The December phenomenon emerged from the success of the Year of Return and Beyond the Return initiatives, which have positioned Ghana as a preferred destination for diaspora engagement, cultural reconnection and leisure tourism.

The Revenue Gap

The disconnect between rising arrivals and falling receipts is a concern that policymakers will need to address. Several factors may explain the gap: shorter average stays, reduced per-capita spending, exchange rate fluctuations that affect dollar-denominated reporting, or a growing share of visitors from neighbouring West African countries who tend to spend less than long-haul tourists from Europe and North America.

Improving tourism revenue will require strategies that go beyond simply increasing visitor numbers. Enhancing the quality of tourism infrastructure, developing higher-value experiences, extending average length of stay, and encouraging greater domestic retention of tourism spending will all be critical to closing the gap between arrivals and revenue.

The 2025 Ghana Tourism Report provides an analysis of the performance of Ghana’s tourism industry and presents key data and trends to support policy formulation, investment decisions and strategic planning across the tourism value chain. As Ghana positions itself as a year-round destination, the challenge will be converting growing interest into sustainable economic returns.

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