Ghana joined the global tourism community on Sunday, September 27, 2026, to commemorate World Tourism Day, with the national celebration in Koforidua focusing on how digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can reshape the country’s tourism industry.
The celebration formed part of the week-long Eastern Expo, being held in the Eastern Regional capital under the theme, “Unlocking Opportunities for Sustainable Trade, Tourism and Investment.” The global World Tourism Day theme for 2026 is “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
Speaking at a World Tourism Day seminar in Koforidua, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, called for greater adoption of AI, digital payments, social media and online booking platforms to make Ghana’s destinations easier to discover, access and market.
She urged communities to identify and celebrate their distinctive tourism assets and develop them into competitive products, while encouraging greater investment in digital skills, content creation, customer service and entrepreneurship, particularly among young people and women.
The Minister stressed that AI should complement human creativity and productivity without compromising Ghana’s cultural identity, heritage and data.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, also advocated the integration of AI and digital technology into tourism development. She noted that AI could help personalize visitor experiences and improve destination management but emphasized that the digital transition must include all tourism stakeholders, from artisans and businesses to traditional authorities.
She further called for the ethical use of technology to amplify and protect Ghanaian culture, describing the Eastern Expo theme as timely in the context of the region’s efforts to unlock opportunities in tourism, trade and investment.
Digital systems to transform tourism regulation
For Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto, digital transformation must extend beyond destination marketing to the way the tourism industry is regulated and managed.
She highlighted the Ghana Tourism Information System (GTIS) as an important component of the country’s digital tourism transformation. The system allows tourism operators to undertake processes including licensing, renewals, record management and tourism levy payments digitally. It also includes a facility verification system that enables the public to check whether tourism businesses are licensed.
Houadjeto stressed that digital regulation would improve operational efficiency and compliance while strengthening consumer protection and service standards. She also warned that the GTA would intensify enforcement against businesses operating outside the regulatory framework and encouraged operators to use the new digital platforms to regularize their businesses.
The GTIS was launched earlier this year as part of efforts to modernize tourism administration, improve data management and make regulatory services more accessible to operators across the country.
Technology must serve communities
The Chairperson for the occasion, Adahene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Odeefuo Oduro Boateng, representing the Omanhene, called for tourism to become more integrated into everyday community life.
Drawing on his experience as both a traditional leader and hospitality stakeholder, he highlighted the Eastern Region’s natural and cultural attractions and backed the use of AI and digital innovations to promote them.
He encouraged stakeholders to use technology and international partnerships, including initiatives such as the Sunderland FC collaboration, to tell Ghana’s story more effectively to global audiences.
The Eastern Regional Director of the GTA, Jones Aruna Nelson, meanwhile, described digital transformation as essential to the survival and competitiveness of modern tourism.
He pointed to attractions such as the Kwahu Mountains, Boti Falls and the region’s festivals, but cautioned that physical attractions alone are no longer enough in an increasingly digital tourism marketplace.
The celebration underscored a growing focus within Ghana’s tourism sector on combining the country’s cultural, historical and natural assets with technology to create more accessible, marketable and sustainable experiences.
Ghana’s digital push comes alongside other GTA initiatives, including the Experience Ghana digital tourism campaign and the GTIS, reflecting a broader effort to use technology, data and digital platforms to strengthen the country’s position as a tourism destination.
