The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park has maintained its status as the most visited tourist attraction in Ghana, accounting for 20 per cent of total arrivals.
The 2024 Ghana Tourism Report, launched by the Ghana Tourism Authority in Accra, said the Park recorded a total of 333,233 visitors in the year under review, comprising 297,730 residents and 40,503 nonresidents.
The park, for the second-year running, beat other tourist attractions to be the first of the top 10 most visited sites in the country.
It accounted for a significant proportion of overall visitation, with residents forming the bulk of the visitors across most locations, the report said.
The Kakum National Park (Canopy Walk) came second with a total of 183,757, out of which 154,192 were residents and 29,565 nonresidents.
That was followed by Bunso Arboretum with 155,149 visitors, comprising 138,767 residents and 16,382 nonresidents.
The Kumasi Zoo was in fourth place with 133,954 visitors, Cape Coast Castle came fifth with 120,242 visitors, followed by Manhyia Palace in sixth place with 106,100 visitors, then Elmina Castle with 87,691 visitors.
The report said the Accra Zoo recorded a total of 83,953 visitors in eighth place, while the Shai Hills Resource Reserve in ninth place received 67,881 visitors.
At the tenth position was the Aburi Botanical Garden with a total of 52, 330 visitors.
With continued investment in infrastructure, promotional activities, and capacity-building in the tourism sector, Ghana was poised to sustain the upward trajectory in domestic tourism, the report said.
“Monitoring changes in visitor behaviour and preferences will be key in crafting more inclusive and sustainable tourism strategies,” it said.
On the Kwahu Paragliding Festival, it noted that the festival had established itself as a major tourism event in Ghana’s Eastern Region and the 2024 edition continued to serve as a stimulus for tourism and economic development.
“The positive visitor feedback, economic benefits, and business growth across multiple sectors underscore the importance of strategic planning, community support, and continuous improvement to sustain and expand the festival’s impact,” it said. “The December in GH has grown into a major cultural and tourism event, marked by music festivals, arts showcase, and diaspora homecomings. Events such as AfroFuture, Detty December, and TadiFest have positioned Ghana as a premier destination during the festive season.”
A survey conducted at the Kotoka International Airport Terminal 3 between December 2023 and January 2024 revealed that with increasing visitor numbers, rising expenditures, and high satisfaction levels, “December in GH” would become a significant driver of Ghana’s tourism economy, particularly among young adults and repeat travelers from the diaspora.
The 2024 Ghana Tourism Report again revealed that in recent years, the rise in short-term rental platforms, notably AirBnB, had significantly infiltrated the global hospitality market.
The continued growth of Airbnb globally, including Ghana, could be attributed to its innovative approach to hospitality, combining convenience, affordability, technological advancement, and community engagement to achieve that goal.
GNA
