The Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF), the umbrella private sector body for tourism in Ghana, has welcomed the government’s decision to make the country visa-free, particularly the plan to allow Africans to enter Ghana without a visa from May 2026.
The Federation said the policy positions Ghana as a continental leader in tourism, trade, and cultural integration.
A statement signed by Mr Seth Ocran, President of GHATOF, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, described the initiative as transformative and aligned with Ghana’s ambition to become Africa’s preferred tourism destination.
“By removing visa barriers, Ghana is opening its doors wider to intra-African travel, business, tourism, and diaspora engagement,” the statement said.
GHATOF said the policy was expected to increase arrivals for leisure, heritage tourism, and business, while strengthening Ghana’s leadership role within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and improving its competitiveness relative to other African destinations.
Industry projections, it noted, suggest visa liberalisation significantly boosts tourism flows and economic impact, making the policy both strategic and timely.
The Federation also welcomed additional bilateral visa-waiver agreements with countries including Colombia, Dominica, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe, describing them as evidence of Ghana’s commitment to broader global accessibility.
Mr Ocran said the visa-free initiative would further reinforce flagship national tourism campaigns such as Beyond the Return and December in Ghana.
He said it would expand opportunities in meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), cultural and heritage tourism, eco-tourism, community-based tourism enterprises, and cross-border tourism packages within West Africa.
By simplifying entry procedures and reducing travel friction, the statement said, Ghana becomes more attractive to international tour operators, travel media, and investors.
The Federation stressed that tourism growth must be underpinned by robust security arrangements, calling for expanded tourism police units at major attractions, modern surveillance systems at airports and borders, and closer collaboration between security agencies and tourism operators.
Other recommendations included the adoption of biometric and digital entry systems, stronger border control protocols to ensure secure but seamless entry, and improved integration of immigration and tourism data systems.
GHATOF said these measures were essential to ensure that increased openness does not compromise national security.
The Federation further urged stricter enforcement of licensing and operational standards for hotels, tour operators, and transport services, supported by regular safety audits across the tourism value chain.
It also called for expanded certification programmes for tourism professionals, enhanced training in safety, emergency response and customer care, and greater community sensitisation on responsible tourism.
Additional proposals included rapid-response systems for tourists in distress, the creation of a national tourism safety helpline, and crisis communication frameworks to manage reputational risk.
Mr Ocran said GHATOF fully supports what it described as a transformative government initiative and called on public institutions, private sector operators and host communities to work together to build a safe and welcoming destination.
