By Jones Anlimah
The Tourism Industry in the Volta region experienced a surge, with an increase in both the number of tourists and revenue generated in 2022 compared to the previous year.
According to official statistics from the Ghana Tourism Authority, the region recorded 27,795 tourists and generated a revenue of ¢281,527 in 2021. However, in 2022, the region saw a boost in tourist numbers, reaching a total of 44,676 visitors and generating a revenue of ¢626,282.
The Volta region is considered the microcosm of Ghana. The region has enormous tourism potential that has yet to be fully realized for economic gains. According to officials of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the tourism industry in the Volta region raked in a total of 281,527 Ghana cedis, with 27,795 tourists visiting the region in 2021.
There were 24,349 Ghanaians and 3,446 non-Ghanaians among them; however, in 2022, the region saw a boost in tourist numbers, reaching a total of 44,676 visitors and generating a revenue of ¢626,282. Out of this 36,839 were Ghanaians whiles 7,834 constituted foreigners.
The Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr Alexander Nketia in an interview with GBC News, said the boost in tourism patronage in the region, especially by Ghanaians, is encouraging. According to him, the increase in tourism patronage will not only benefit the local economy but also create job opportunities for the residents of the region and is expected to have a positive impact on the overall economic development of the region.
He attributed the significant increase in the tourism industry in the region to various factors, including the region’s stunning natural beauty, diverse cultural heritage, improved tourism infrastructure, and calculated awareness creation at the national, regional, district, and even individual levels.
“So a combination of soo many factors. People becoming aware, community becoming more aware, more promotion and marketing are taking place at the national, regional, and even individual levels because I did ask people to go to their backyards and the tourist sites around their communities and take a picture of what they have and let the world see on social media. This they did and the result is the surge in tourism boost as we saw last year,” he added.
“We also have a number of media houses going to visit such sites and publicising it. We have also had a very peaceful year too. Now tourism is such that you may want to but if you don’t have the information it becomes difficult to make the move. But now there is more information about the region and therefore people are beginning to move in to patronise our sites,” he noted.
According to Officials of the Volta Regional Office of the GTA, Government and local tourism organisations are taking proactive measures to sustain this growth and attract even more tourists as the region prepares to host the 66th Independence Day celebrations next month.
