UNWTO forecast reinforces 2m tourist arrivals target

By Wisdom JONNY-NUEKPE

In light of a robust international tourism performance in 2023, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) predicts that international travel is on course to fully return to pre-pandemic levels this year.

This projection aligns with the country’s goal, set by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts last year, to attract approximately two million international tourists in 2024.

According to data from the ministry, the sector welcomed 1.2 million international tourist last year, excluding domestic visitors. Since 2022, Ghana has been making significant progress toward reaching pre-pandemic tourism levels. The country’s tourism report indicates a notable increase, with 914,892 international tourists in 2022, marking a 47 percent rise from 2021.

Correspondingly, revenue saw a significant surge of over 107 percent, with the country generating well over US$2.5billion from international arrivals in 2022, according to the Ghana Tourism Authority.

Encouragingly, the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer released in January revealed that international tourism reached 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023, with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals globally. The report suggests that the release of pent-up demand, improved air connectivity and a stronger recovery of Asian, European and African market destinations will support a full recovery by the end of 2024.

With global tourism revenue reaching US$1.4trillion in 2023, the barometer offers a comprehensive overview of the sector’s performance, tracking recovery by global regions, sub-regions and destinations. African destinations, in particular, saw a recovery of 96 percent of pre-pandemic visitors.

The optimistic outlook is mirrored in the latest UNWTO Tourism Confidence Index survey, with 67 percent of tourism professionals anticipating better prospects for 2024 compared to 2023. Ghana’s tourism sector aims to leverage promotional activities such as ‘Beyond the Return’ and ‘December in GH’ to achieve its annual visitor targets, especially in 2024.

Significant support for reviving the local tourism sector came from the US$40million Ghana Tourism Project (GTDP), effective from 2019 and concluding in September 2023. Investments made pre and post-pandemic led to substantial upgrades and infrastructure developments, including the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the National Museum, the Kente Museum in Bonwire and various other facilities and initiatives.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili emphasises the resilience and rapid recovery of tourism, with pre-pandemic numbers expected to return by the end of 2024.

This rebound is already making a significant impact on economies, job creation, growth and opportunities for communities worldwide, underscoring the critical need for advancing sustainability and inclusion in tourism development.

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