Ghana’s tourism accommodation market shows sharp regional disparities – GSS

Ghana's accommodation industry is experiencing stark regional disparities in demand, with some regions recording high occupancy rates while others struggle to utilize available rooms, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). In January 2025, Savannah Region led with a 63.7% room occupancy rate, while Eastern, Bono East and Volta regions saw rates below 28% throughout the four-month period from November 2024 to February 2025.

The report reveals that Central Region also had consistently high accommodation utilization, with bed occupancy rates above 70% throughout the period. Other regions, including Western, also showed relatively strong bed occupancy, peaking at 77.2% in December 2024 before decreasing to 70.5% by February.

Despite accounting for the largest accommodation capacity in the country, Greater Accra's room occupancy remained between 41% and 48% during the period. The GSS emphasizes that national averages alone may not accurately reflect Ghana's tourism accommodation market, as regional demand patterns vary.

The survey indicates that domestic tourists dominate the market, comprising approximately 1.87 million to 2.17 million guests per month, compared to fewer than 40,000 foreign visitors. However, foreign visitors tend to stay longer, averaging three to four nights in hotels, compared to about two nights for domestic guests. This distinction is crucial as longer stays generate more revenue from accommodation, transportation, food, entertainment, and other services.

The accommodation sector also saw a weakened revenue performance during the surveyed period, with Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) declining from GH¢603 in November to GH¢490 in January before recovering in February. Average Daily Rate (ADR) followed a similar trend, falling from GH¢1,351 in November to GH¢1,112 in January before increasing in February. Greater Accra experienced the highest RevPAR throughout the period, but also saw a decline from GH¢1,165 in November to GH¢852 in January before recovering in February.