Ghana to invest US$1bn in tourism and the arts, with a convention bureau and new hotels in five regions
The 2027 budget aims to turn December in Ghana into a year-round visitor economy built on heritage, ancestry journeys, conferences and the creative arts.
Accra — Ghana will invest US$1 billion in tourism, culture and the creative arts to build a visitor economy that runs all year, not just in December, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced in the 2027 budget on Thursday.
He said Ghana had "a history that spoke to the world", a culture that continued to shape Africa and a reputation for peace and democratic stability that made it a dependable destination for meetings, investment and healing.
Beyond December
December in Ghana will remain the anchor of the tourism calendar, but heritage journeys, ancestry services, family reunions, educational programmes and the creative arts are meant to give visitors reasons to come at other times. The Black Star Experience, the government's flagship cultural programme, will run all 12 months, and a national events calendar will spread activities across seasons and regions.
Forts, castles and other sites linked to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade will be presented with historical accuracy and dignity, the minister said.
Conferences and hotels
In 2027 the government will set up a professional convention bureau to bid for recurring African and global conferences, with Accra as the main hub and Kumasi as a second destination. The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) will build and run an international convention centre at the La Trade Fair Centre and, with tax incentives, build five hotels by 2030: five-star hotels in Accra and Kumasi, and four-star hotels on the Cape Coast–Elmina heritage corridor, in the Volta Region and in Northern Ghana. A new National Theatre in Kumasi will also be completed.
Source: MyJoyOnline, MyJoyOnline, 12 November 2026.
