Ghana’s domestic tourism sector generated GH₵6.59 billion in total expenditure in 2023, driven by strong same-day and overnight travel, according to the Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS) fact sheet released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The survey recorded 15,388,978 domestic tourist visits during the year, reinforcing domestic travel as a major pillar of Ghana’s tourism economy and a growing source of income for households, transport operators, accommodation providers and local businesses across the country.

The DOTS forms a critical part of Ghana’s tourism planning architecture and underpins the development of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which measures how tourism contributes to the broader economy. Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu said the survey provides credible evidence to guide policy and investment decisions.

“The Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey provides the statistical backbone for understanding how Ghanaians travel, spend, and engage in tourism,” Dr. Iddrisu noted. “These insights are essential for effective planning and for strengthening the Tourism Satellite Account.”

The survey aligns Ghana’s tourism measurement with international standards while supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to economic growth and sustainable communities.

In 2023, Ghana recorded 6.6 million domestic same-day visitors and 8.8 million domestic overnight visitors. Same-day visitors accounted for an estimated GHS 1.83 billion in expenditure, while overnight visitors spent approximately GHS 4.76 billion, highlighting the higher economic value of longer stays.

Social travel continues to dominate domestic tourism patterns. Across all quarters, nearly 70 percent of same-day trips were made to visit friends and relatives, with at least 29 percent linked to funerals. For overnight travel, more than 80 percent of trips were for visiting friends and relatives, with funerals accounting for at least 39.7 percent.

Travel activity remains heavily concentrated in southern Ghana. The Ashanti Region and Greater Accra Region emerged as the leading destinations, each recording over 300,000 same-day visitors per quarter. The two regions also received more than 250,000 overnight visitors per quarter, reflecting both population density and infrastructure advantages.

Dr. Iddrisu said the data underscores the need to use domestic tourism statistics more deliberately in national development planning.

“By aligning DOTS with global statistical frameworks, Ghana is positioning tourism as a measurable and accountable contributor to economic growth,” he said.

The GSS noted that while domestic tourism is already performing strongly, the priority now is to organise it better and ensure local communities capture more value. Policy recommendations include improving road quality and transport services on major travel routes, supporting festivals and heritage attractions, integrating tourism data into regional planning and SME programmes, and developing affordable travel products for self-arranged domestic travellers.

According to the Service, strengthening community-based tourism and building local capacity will be key to spreading tourism benefits more evenly across the country and sustaining growth in domestic travel.