Ghana’s 2024 National Tourism Performance Report has come under scrutiny for its failure to capture critical data to provide a comprehensive picture of the sector’s development, a tourism analyst has said.
Mr Emmanuel Frimpong, Founding President of the Africa Tourism Research Network, described the report as “incomplete and overly generalised,” noting that it overlooked several important areas that were vital for planning, investment, and sustainable growth.
The report was launched by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) on the theme: “Growth and Stability” as a vital resource for assessing the performance of Ghana’s tourism sector and identifying key trends, opportunities, and areas for strategic intervention.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Frimpong said while the report presented positive narratives on national visitor arrivals and key attractions, it did not offer the depth needed to guide policy or attract serious investment.
One of the most significant gaps, he noted, was the lack of a comprehensive regional breakdown of tourism data.
“The report presented aggregate national figures but failed to disaggregate data by region, particularly in under-promoted areas like the Northern, Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West regions,” he noted.
“We cannot achieve inclusive tourism if we do not measure what is happening outside Accra and Cape Coast. Regional data is essential for targeted investment and equitable development.”
Despite the sector’s potential as a major job creator, Mr Frimpong said the 2024 report excluded employment statistics, including the number of jobs created, the proportion of youth and women employed, and the scale of informal tourism activities such as local tour guides, artisans, and vendors.
“Without employment data, we miss the real social and economic impact of tourism. Development partners like the International Labour Organisation (ILO) also rely on such data to direct support,” he said.
The tourism analyst noted the absence of survey-based visitor satisfaction metrics in the report, such as feedback on service quality, safety, infrastructure, and pricing.
“This omission undermines efforts to improve the overall tourist experience and build Ghana’s international reputation. It is not enough to count visitors, we need to understand their experience,” he said.
Although the report emphasised ecotourism, Mr Frimpomg noted that it did not include data on the environmental footprint of tourism, facility compliance with sustainability standards, or the climate resilience of tourism sites.
“We cannot just talk about sustainability, we have to measure it, otherwise, it is just a slogan,” he added.
According to the analyst, the report was also silent on air travel affordability and connectivity challenges, which were key barriers for many regional and international travelers.
The report did not assess flight costs, border travel bottlenecks, or the competitiveness of Ghana as a travel destination in West Africa, he noted.
“Travel cost is one of the biggest issues facing tourists and tourism businesses.”
The 2024 report did not mention data on private or public investments secured in the sector, nor highlighted new projects, accommodation developments, or challenges investors faced, such as land access or regulatory hurdles.
He explained that those were important because transparent investment data built investor confidence and informed reforms.
Mr. Frimpong criticised the report for not reflecting on how global economic trends, such as inflation, currency instability, and recession fears, affected travel patterns, pricing, and domestic tourism.
“While the report briefly referenced efforts to regulate platforms like Airbnb, it did not include enforcement outcomes, such as compliance rates or penalties issued, saying, “regulation is meaningless without enforcement data.”
To address those gaps, deficiencies, and future tourism reports must include regional visitor statistics and sectoral breakdowns, labour market data, including informal sector jobs, visitor satisfaction and service quality surveys, and environmental and sustainability tracking.
“It must also include Air travel affordability and access analysis, investment trends and project pipeline data, global economic impact assessments, regulatory enforcement and compliance metrics.”
Mr Frimpong urged the GTA to begin reporting on niche tourism markets such as Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions, medical tourism, and sports tourism, as well as outbound tourism trends, which were often ignored.
“Ghana has great tourism potential, but we must be data-driven to unlock it,” he added.
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