The West African country of Ghana, a giant in the field of Tourism, has reconsolidated it tourism performance and is set to reaching pre-pandemic tourism levels.The Tourism Minister of Ghana, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal confirmed country’s latest tourism report showing 914,892 international tourists in 2022 which is a 47% increase from the previous year’s 623,523 with revenue also increasing more than 107%, reaching over $2.5 billion from international arrivals.

Ghana tourism has also moved forward with their domestic tourism market now recordong 937,087 tourists representing a 55% growth in 2022.Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal was with GTA CEO, Akwasi Agyeman launching the 2022 Tourism Report on April 4 when the Minister said that the increased numbers are a direct result of sound policies by the government to grow the tourism sector.

He went on to say that the efforts by the Ghana Tourism Authority and other agencies of the industry working together have done Ghana proud before adding that the country can attract at least 1.2 million tourists this year and expecting to generate about 3.4 billion dollars to Ghana’s economy.The Minister also emphasized that Ghana was expecting to create 150,000 more jobs in the industry 2023 and that the government will train personnel to improve service delivery in the hospitality and tourism sector.

Ghana is noteworthy for being the first African country to gain independence from the British. Ghanaian officials commemorated this significant transformation by renaming the land after a famous indigenous culture from the past.While mythical in nature, these evocations of noble origins, combined with a rich cultural heritage and a militant nationalist movement, have provided unifying symbols and a sense of common identity and destiny to this ethnically diverse country.

The Ghanaian people have kept their civilization free of major internal strife and continue to develop their vast natural, human, and cultural resources.The Ghana Tourism Authority is a Ghanaian state agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts responsible for the regulation of tourism in Ghana by marketing, promoting, licensing, classifying, researching and developing tourism facilities and services in the country.
The Authority was established in 1960 as the Ghana Tourist Board. The board was renamed as the Ghana Tourism Authority in 2011 under act 817. The act extended the tasks of the agency to oversee the implementation of government policies in the industry.
The GTA’s mandate is to Regulate the tourism industry and it doubles as the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) responsible for the marketing and promotion of tourism both locally and internationally.
so the question is where did that money go and why is Ghana going to the IMF ?