Ghana Must Look Beyond Accra to Unlock Tourism Potential Across All 16 Regions – Maureen Eduafo-Mensah

Ghana’s tourism development must move beyond Accra and other established tourism centres to ensure that all 16 regions benefit from the economic opportunities created by the sector, according to Maureen Eduafo-Mensah, an intern with the Corporate Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).

BEYOND ACCRA: How Ghana Can Spread Tourism Development Across All 16 Regions. Eduafo-Mensah argued that Ghana’s tourism potential extends far beyond the capital, pointing to the country’s waterfalls, mountains, beaches, wildlife, cultural heritage, festivals and historic sites.

She noted that while destinations such as Accra, Cape Coast and Kakum continue to attract significant attention, several other parts of the country remain underdeveloped and under-promoted despite possessing attractions capable of drawing both domestic and international tourists.

“Focusing solely on Accra is like reading only the first chapter of a fascinating book,” she stated, stressing the need for tourists to experience the wider Ghanaian story.

According to Eduafo-Mensah, Ghana recorded more than 1.3 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, while domestic tourism has also continued to grow.

She said the figures demonstrate that people are travelling and spending within the tourism ecosystem, but the major challenge is ensuring that tourism-related economic activity reaches communities outside the country’s traditional tourism hubs.

She referenced former Tourism Minister Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, who previously outlined a vision to visit all 16 regions and develop at least two iconic tourism sites in each region.

Current Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie has similarly emphasised the need to explore Ghana’s tourism potential beyond traditional destinations.

Gomashie has said Ghana’s regions each have unique attractions that can contribute to the development of the tourism industry.

“We all have unique things to offer. If we appreciate what is coming from the North, South, middle belts, and the coastal regions, we will reach far,” she said.

She further highlighted the economic potential of expanding tourism development nationwide, asking:

“Can you imagine we do this across all 16 regions of our country? We are going to pump fresh energy into the ecosystem of businesses that belong to Ghanaians.”

Eduafo-Mensah proposed that Ghana should move away from promoting individual attractions in isolation and instead develop regional and inter-regional tourism circuits.

For instance, tourists arriving in Accra could be encouraged to travel through the Eastern Region before proceeding to the Volta Region for waterfall and mountain experiences, continuing to the Oti Region for nature and cultural tourism and eventually travelling further north to explore wildlife and heritage sites.

She said similar circuits could be developed across the other regions.

The Central Region, for example, could expand its tourism offerings beyond castles and Kakum, while the Ashanti Region could combine its royal heritage with crafts, food and festivals.

The Western Region could link its beaches with cocoa and cultural experiences, while the northern regions could package wildlife, traditional architecture, festivals and local cuisine into attractive tourism products.

According to her, the objective should be to make travelling across Ghana part of the tourism experience, rather than limiting visitors to isolated attractions.

Eduafo-Mensah cautioned that advertising attractions without improving infrastructure would not be enough to attract and retain tourists.

She called for investment in roads, signage, accommodation, sanitation, internet connectivity, safety and visitor facilities around tourism destinations.

Regional and district authorities, she added, should work closely with traditional leaders and local communities to identify attractions with potential for development into sustainable tourism products.

The article also emphasised the need for local communities to become direct beneficiaries of tourism development.

Eduafo-Mensah suggested that young people could be trained and employed as tour guides, drivers, photographers, chefs, content creators and hospitality workers.

Communities could also generate income through handicrafts, local food, accommodation, cultural performances and other locally produced products.

She said such an approach could create employment opportunities outside Accra and help reduce the pressure on young people to migrate to the capital in search of jobs.

The GTA intern further identified social media as an important tool for promoting lesser-known destinations.

She suggested that the Ghana Tourism Authority, tourism businesses and content creators should make greater use of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to tell stories about attractions across the country.

One proposed campaign is 16 Regions, 16 Experiences, which would give each region an opportunity to showcase its food, festivals, history, culture, nature and adventure.

Eduafo-Mensah also called for stronger domestic tourism, arguing that Ghanaians themselves can play a major role in spreading tourism spending across the country.

She suggested that schools, churches, universities, companies and families could organise affordable trips to different regions.

Festivals could also be packaged into complete tourism experiences combining transportation, accommodation, food and cultural activities.

She noted that when Ghanaians travel within the country, they spend money on local businesses, helping to keep tourism revenue within communities.

To achieve balanced tourism development, Eduafo-Mensah proposed five key priorities:

Develop at least two strong tourism attractions in every region.

Improve roads and basic facilities around tourism sites.

Create regional tourism circuits instead of promoting single attractions.

Give local communities and young people a bigger role in tourism businesses.

Use strong digital marketing to promote lesser-known destinations.

She maintained that Ghana does not need to create a new tourism story because the country already possesses the attractions and cultural experiences needed to build a stronger tourism industry.

“Accra can remain the gateway to Ghana, but it should not be the end of the journey,” she stated.

She concluded that Ghana’s waterfalls, mountains, beaches, castles, forests, festivals, food, wildlife and cultures are waiting to be discovered, and that connecting, developing and promoting all 16 regions could transform tourism into a major driver of job creation, local business growth, cultural preservation and development nationwide.