According to the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS) data sheet, robust same-day and overnight travel contributed to Ghana’s domestic tourism sector’s GH₵6.59 billion in total expenditure in 2023.

Domestic travel is a significant pillar of Ghana’s tourism sector and a growing source of income for households, transportation providers, lodging providers, and local businesses around the nation, as evidenced by the survey’s 15,388,978 domestic visitor visits over the year.

The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which gauges the contribution of tourism to the overall economy, is based on the DOTS, which is an essential component of Ghana’s tourism planning framework. According to Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, a government statistician, the survey offers reliable data to inform investment and policy choices.

“The Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey provides the statistical backbone for understanding how Ghanaians travel, spend, and engage in tourism,” Dr. Iddrisu noted. “These insights are essential for effective planning and for strengthening the Tourism Satellite Account.”

The study supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially those pertaining to sustainable communities and economic growth, while bringing Ghana’s tourist measurement into line with worldwide norms.

Ghana received 8.8 million domestic overnight visits and 6.6 million domestic same-day visitors in 2023. The higher economic value of longer stays is demonstrated by the estimated GHS 1.83 billion spent by same-day tourists and GHS 4.76 billion spent by overnight visitors.

Domestic travel trends are still dominated by social travel. Nearly 70% of same-day journeys across all quarters were made to see friends and family, with funerals accounting for at least 29% of these visits. Visits to friends and family accounted for over 80% of overnight travel, with funerals making up at least 39.7%.

Southern Ghana continues to be a major hub for travel traffic. With more than 300,000 same-day visitors per quarter, the Ashanti Region and the Greater Accra Region became the top travel destinations. Additionally, the two areas got over 250,000 overnight visits every quarter, which is indicative of both infrastructure advantages and population density.

According to Dr. Iddrisu, the data highlights the necessity of using domestic tourism statistics more carefully when planning for national development.

“By aligning DOTS with global statistical frameworks, Ghana is positioning tourism as a measurable and accountable contributor to economic growth,” he said.

Although domestic tourism is already doing well, the GSS stated that improving its organisation and making sure local communities receive greater value are currently the top priorities. Enhancing important travel routes’ road quality and transit services, promoting festivals and historical sites, incorporating tourist data into regional planning and SME initiatives, and creating reasonably priced travel goods for independent domestic travellers are some of the policy ideas.

The Service claims that maintaining growth in domestic travel and distributing tourist benefits more fairly throughout the nation would depend on bolstering community-based tourism and developing local capability.