Friday, 12 June

December visitor numbers rise as Ghana records over 1.3 million tourist arrivals in 2025

Entertainment
Accra International Airport

Ghana recorded a rise in international visitor arrivals in December 2025, according to the 2025 Ghana Tourism Report, reflecting the country's continued attraction as a destination for cultural and leisure tourism.

The report indicates that international arrivals in December increased from 126,791 in 2024 to 141,186 in 2025, representing an 11.35 per cent growth.

The increase comes amid the growing popularity of "December in GH", the annual festive season campaign that draws thousands of visitors to Ghana for concerts, festivals, nightlife, cultural events and heritage tourism experiences.

Popularly referred to as "Detty December", the period has become a major attraction for tourists, particularly members of the African diaspora seeking cultural reconnection and leisure travel opportunities.

According to the report, the success of initiatives such as the Year of Return and Beyond the Return has contributed significantly to positioning Ghana as a preferred destination for diaspora engagement and tourism.

Published under the theme "Resilience and Sustainable Growth", the report shows that Ghana welcomed a total of 1,306,962 international tourists in 2025, up from 1,288,804 arrivals recorded in 2024.

The report notes that the 1.4 per cent increase demonstrates the tourism sector's ability to sustain growth following gains in visitor arrivals and tourism-related activities in recent years.

Domestic tourism also recorded strong performance, with more than 1.79 million visits registered across 55 tourist sites nationwide, highlighting growing interest in local travel.

Despite the increase in visitor arrivals, international tourism receipts declined during the year. Revenue generated from international tourism fell from $4.83 billion in 2024 to $4.34 billion in 2025.

The report further shows growth in the number of licensed tourism enterprises, which increased from 6,702 in 2024 to 7,109 in 2025.

Travel trade activities expanded by 18.6 per cent, while the entertainment and conference segment recorded a 14.3 per cent increase, reflecting rising demand for tourism-related services and events.

Cruise tourism also continued to grow, with 18 cruise ship calls and 5,488 passengers arriving through the ports of Tema and Takoradi during the year under review.

The 2025 Ghana Tourism Report provides an overview of trends and performance within the sector and is intended to support policy development, investment planning and decision-making across the tourism industry.

Source: classfmonline.com