By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Aug. 11, GNA – Ghana has deployed two digital platforms to expand tourism bookings, investment opportunities and market access for local tourism operators.
The Ghana Tourism Marketplace (GTM) enables tourists to book verified experiences online, while the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform (GTiP) provides investors with access to credible, data-backed tourism investment opportunities.
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, disclosed this at the Presidency in Accra during the Government Accountability Press Conference Series, where she outlined key initiatives undertaken since assuming office in January 2025.
She said the platforms also connected local operators to national and international markets, with a significant number of bookings recorded during the December 2025 festive season.
Madam Gomashie said the “Accra by Night” tour accounted for about 93 per cent of total platform revenue during the period.
She said the Ministry had introduced “Accra by Night” as a structured night tourism product to extend tourism activities beyond daytime operations in Accra.
The initiative, she said, supported restaurants, artists, transport operators and small businesses while aligning with the Government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda.
Madam Gomashie said the Ministry had also undertaken measures to fix, protect and reposition key national tourism assets, including the re-opening of the Nationalism Park after resolving long-standing power challenges.
She said the Tano Boase Sacred Grove Project had been completed and was ready for official opening to the public.
“We had also strengthened governance and management structures at heritage sites such as the Anomabu Garden of Return and the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm. These interventions matter because tourists do not only come for stories, they come for well-managed, safe, and meaningful sites that deliver quality experiences,” she said.
The Minister said the Ministry successfully celebrated National Chocolate Week nationwide, linking cocoa to tourism, health and lifestyle experiences through exhibitions and street floats.
She said chocolate tasting at the Kotoka International Airport had helped to position cocoa as both an export commodity and a tourism product.
Madam Gomashie said Ghana’s per capita cocoa consumption had increased from about 0.45 kilogrammes to nearly one kilogramme in recent years.
She said, with guidance from the Ministry, the Ghana Tourism Development Company launched the Fleet Pool Management Service (FPMS) under a Public-Private Partnership model to address unregulated and unsafe tourism transport.
“Through FPMS, we are certifying drivers, improving safety standards, and enhancing visitor experience, recognising that transport quality is significantly correlated with tourist satisfaction and repeat visits,” she said.
Madam Gomashie said the Ministry had also intensified cooperation with several countries, including China, Greece, Russia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Egypt, among others, in fulfilment of the National Democratic Congress’ manifesto commitment to strengthen international tourism and cultural diplomacy.
She said the cooperation had resulted in cultural exchange programmes, with Ghanaian artists performing in partner countries and artists from those countries visiting Ghana.
She said the programmes focused on destination promotion, investment attraction and diaspora engagement.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Patrick Ofoe Nudzi