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Tourist arrivals in Ghana increase to 600,000 in the first half of 2024 – Minister

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, says tourist arrivals have increased from about 500,000 in 2023 to almost 600,000 in the first half of 2024. 

That, he said, had increased receipts to about $1.8 billion compared to $1.5 billion over same period last year. 

Delivering the 2024 Mid-Year budget review on Tuesday in Parliament, Dr Adam said Ghana had been positioned as an internationally competitive tourism destination. 

He said to complement that progress, government had enhanced tourism infrastructure, marketing, supply-chain links, through the redevelopment of key tourist sites such as Aburi Gardens, Yaa Asantewaa mausoleum, the museum at Ejisu, and the Pikworo Slave camp. 

On works and housing development, the Finance Minister said Ghanaians were burdened with long commutes and mounting stress due to the lack of decent and conveniently located housing, hence government in partnership with private developers and banks was looking at building high-rise, reasonably priced accommodations within the cities of Accra and Kumasi. 

“In the coming weeks, the Minister for Works and Housing will present the full housing reform package with the private sector at its core.” 

He said government during the first half of the year continued to implement the National Rental Assistance Scheme, which had benefited 2,074 individuals to date, adding that under the National Flood Control Programme, over 1,000 kilometers of drains had been newly constructed, rechanneled, and maintained nationwide to reduce the impact of the perennial devastating floods. 

Mr Adam noted that preparatory activities towards the construction of houses for households affected by the controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam were completed following extensive engagement with stakeholders. 

Source: GNA 

Court sentences two men 10 years each in absentia for GH¢1.7m fraud  

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Destinations with the highest inbound tourism receipts worldwide 2019-2023

The United States was the global travel destination with the highest international tourism receipts in 2023. That year, inbound tourism receipts in the U.S. amounted to nearly 176 billion U.S. dollars. While this figure denoted a sharp annual increase, it remained below the figure from 2019, the year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Spain and the United Kingdom followed in the ranking in 2023, with around 92 billion and 74 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. 

What are the most visited countries in the world?

While France ranked fourth based on international tourism receipts, it topped the list of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide , both before and after the impact of the health crisis. In 2023, France recorded 100 million arrivals by international travelers, while Spain and the United States followed in the ranking with over 85 million and 66 million arrivals, respectively. 

What is the economic impact of travel and tourism worldwide?

As estimated, the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide was expected to amount to 9.5 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. This figure refers to the direct, indirect, and induced impacts of these industries. That year, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide was forecast to surpass 300 million.

Countries and territories with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide from 2019 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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2019 to 2022

countries are ranked based on the highest tourism receipts in 2022

Figures are periodically updated by the source and might differ from the official UN Tourism rankings as they are based on the available data for the selected years.

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Statistics on " Tourism worldwide "

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• Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022
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• Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
• Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2034
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• Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value
• Number of hotels in the construction pipeline worldwide 2024
• Number of hotel rooms in the construction pipeline worldwide 2024
• Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2024
• Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2023
• Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023
• Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2028
• Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
• Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2021-2030
• Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
• Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type
• Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
• Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type
• Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023
• Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
• Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
• Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
• Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
• Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment
• Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment
• Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023
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• Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
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• Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022
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• Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2020-2029, by segment
• Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2019-2029
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Other statistics that may interest you Tourism worldwide

• Basic Statistic Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2034
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2034
• Basic Statistic Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Global business travel spending 2001-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2034
• Premium Statistic Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2022-2023
• Premium Statistic Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value
• Basic Statistic Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties
• Premium Statistic Number of hotels in the construction pipeline worldwide 2024
• Premium Statistic Number of hotel rooms in the construction pipeline worldwide 2024
• Premium Statistic Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2024
• Premium Statistic Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2028
• Premium Statistic Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2021-2030
• Premium Statistic Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
• Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Attractions

• Premium Statistic Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type
• Basic Statistic Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Online travel market

• Premium Statistic Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
• Premium Statistic Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
• Basic Statistic Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Selected trends

• Premium Statistic Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023
• Premium Statistic Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022
• Premium Statistic Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022
• Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2020-2029, by segment
• Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2019-2029
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

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Greek Tourism Revenue Rises in January-May Despite Drop in Per Capita Spending

Greece’s visitor arrivals and tourism revenue increased year-over-year during the first five months of 2024; however, spending per capita saw a decrease , according to data released by the Bank of Greece (BoG) on Tuesday.

More specifically, in January-May 2024 , travel receipts were up by 16.2 percent to 4,431.2 million euros (up from 3,806.3 million euros in 2023). The rise in travel receipts stemmed from a 20.6 percent increase in inbound traveler flows , even as average expenditure per trip fell by 3.6 percent .

In May alone, travel receipts rose by 6.8 percent to 1,934.8 million euros, up from 1,811.3 million euros in May 2023. According to BoG data, the rise in travel receipts is due to a 21.3 percent increase in inbound arrivals , even as average expenditure per trip declined by 12.2 percent .

According to industry insiders, the high cost of tickets and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis affecting many countries have led to a reduction in visitor spending.

Nevertheless, Greece saw an increase in revenue in both May and the January-May period.

Source: Bank of Greece

Taking a closer look at the data, the 16.2 percent rise in travel receipts to 4,431.2 million euros during January-May 2024 is due to a 24.7 percent increase in receipts from residents of the EU27 to 2,102.8 million euros, and a 6.4 percent increase in receipts from residents of other countries to 1,543.2 million euros.

In greater detail, receipts from euro area residents rose by 24.8 percent to 1,819.0 million euros, and receipts from residents of non-euro area EU27 countries increased by 24.0 percent to 283.8 million euros.

Travel receipts from Greece’s main source markets

Referring to data from Greece’s main source markets of origin of travelers in the eurozone, BoG data showed that receipts from Germany rose by 15.1 percent to 700.4 million euros, and receipts from France increased by 3.4 percent to 281.8 million euros. Receipts from Italy saw a significant rise of 98.4 percent to 184.1 million euros.

Turning to other countries, receipts from the United Kingdom decreased by 3.4 percent to 399.7 million euros, whereas receipts from the United States increased by 23.4 percent to 397.0 million euros. Receipts from Russia decreased sharply by 75.7 percent to 2.7 million euros.

Greek tourism revenues in May

Focusing just on the month of May, BoG data showed a 6.8 percent year-on-year increase in travel receipts to 1,934.8 million euros compared to the same month last year.

In more detail, receipts from residents of EU27 countries increased by 10.5 percent to 1,112.2 million euros, up from 1,006.2 million euros in May 2023. Receipts from other countries grew by 0.8 percent , reaching 730.2 million euros in May 2024, compared to 724.8 million euros in May 2023. The rise in receipts from within the EU27 is attributed to increases in receipts from euro area residents by 8.4 percent to 957.3 million euros (May 2023: 883.2 million euros) and from residents of non-euro area EU27 countries by 26.0 percent to 154.9 million euros.

Among major euro area countries of origin, receipts from Germany declined by 0.9 percent to 425.1 million euros, whereas receipts from France increased by 1.6 percent to 155.4 million euros. Receipts from Italy also saw a significant increase of 68.6 percent to 63.0 million euros.

Turning to other countries, receipts from the United Kingdom rose by 1.6 percent to 284.0 million euros, whereas receipts from the United States fell by 9.0 percent to 155.7 million euros. Receipts from Russia decreased significantly by 82.1 percent to 1.1 million euros.

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• From August 1 Onward: Documents for Veterinarians to Complete for Importing a Dog into the U.S.
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From August 1, 2024, Onward: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries

At a glance.

The one form you will need is the CDC Dog Import Form if your dog has been only in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk in the 6 months before entering or returning to the U.S. Your dog must appear healthy to enter the U.S.

Recent Changes

CDC values the feedback received from various countries, industry partners, and the public. CDC simplified the process for meeting requirements for dogs arriving from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries.

Starting on August 1, 2024, dogs entering or returning to the United States that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months must meet the following requirements: be healthy and complete the CDC Dog Import Form .

Dog Rabies-free or Low-risk Countries

CDC Dog Import Form

For dogs that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the 6 months before U.S. entry, this is the only form that is needed. A receipt will be emailed to you upon submission of the form. You can print the receipt or show it on your phone.

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The receipt is valid for 6 months from when it’s issued unless the dog visits a high-risk country during that time.

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The receipt can be used for multiple entries into the United States as long as the dog has not been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months.

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Each dog must have its own form. If you are bringing more than one dog to the U.S., you will need to complete a separate form for each dog.

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You can fill out the form on the day of travel. We recommend completing it a few days or up to six months before travel from a dog rabies-free or low-risk country, just to be prepared.

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CDC Dog Import Form receipt can be printed or shown on a phone screen to U.S. customs officials or airlines (if applicable).

What else is required for dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries?

In addition to having a receipt for a CDC Dog Import Form :

• Dogs must appear healthy upon arrival.
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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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International Tourism Back to 60% of Pre-Pandemic Levels in January-July 2022

• All Regions
• 26 Sep 2022

International tourism continued to show strong signs of recovery, with arrivals reaching 57% of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2022.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer , international tourist arrivals almost tripled in January to July 2022 (+172%) compared to the same period of 2021. This means t he sector recovered almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels . The steady recovery reflects strong pent-up demand for international travel as well as the easing or lifting of travel restrictions to date (86 countries had no COVID-19 related restrictions as of 19 September 2022).

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism continues to recover steadily, yet several challenges remain, from geopolitical to economic. The sector is bringing back hope and opportunity for people everywhere. Now is also the time to rethink tourism, where it is going and how it impacts people and planet.”

Now is also the time to rethink tourism, where it is going and how it impacts people and planet

An estimated 474 million tourists travelled internationally over the period, compared to the 175 million in the same months of 2021. An estimated 207 million international arrivals were recorded in June and July 2022 combined, over twice the numbers seen in the same two months last year. These months represent 44% of the total arrivals recorded in the first seven months of 2022. Europe welcomed 309 million of these arrivals, accounting for 65% of the total. 

International Tourist Arrivals

Europe and the middle east lead recovery.

Europe and the Middle East showed the fastest recovery in January-July 2022, with arrivals reaching 74% and 76% of 2019 levels respectively. Europe welcomed almost three times as many international arrivals as in the first seven months of 2021 (+190%), with results boosted by strong intra-regional demand and travel from the United States. The region saw particularly robust performance in June (-21% over 2019) and July (-16%), reflecting a busy summer period. Arrivals climbed to about 85% of 2019 levels in July. The lifting of travel restrictions in a large number of destinations also fuelled these results (44 countries in Europe had no COVID-19 related restrictions as of 19 September 2022).

The Middle East saw international arrivals grow almost four times year-on-year in January-July 2022 (+287%). Arrivals exceeded pre-pandemic levels in July (+3%), boosted by the extraordinary results posted by Saudi Arabia (+121%) following the Hajj pilgrimage. 

The Americas (+103%) and Africa (+171%) also recorded strong growth in January-July 2022 compared to 2021, reaching 65% and 60% of 2019 levels respectively. Asia and the Pacific (+165%) saw arrivals more than double in the first seven months of 2022, though they remained 86% below 2019 levels, as some borders remained closed to non-essential travel.

Subregions and destinations

Several subregions reached 70% to 85% of their pre-pandemic arrivals in January-July 2022. Southern Mediterranean Europe (-15% over 2019), the Caribbean (-18%) and Central America (-20%) showed the fastest recovery towards 2019 levels. Western Europe (-26%) and Northern Europe (-27%) also posted strong results. In July arrivals came close to pre-pandemic levels in the Caribbean (-5%), Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-6%) and Central America (-8%).

Among destinations reporting data on international arrivals in the first five to seven months of 2022, those exceeding pre-pandemic levels were: the US Virgin Islands (+32% over 2019), Albania (+19%), Saint Maarten (+15%), Ethiopia and Honduras (both +13%), Andorra (+10%), Puerto Rico (+7%), United Arab Emirates and Dominican Republic (both +3%), San Marino and El Salvador (both +1%) and Curaçao (0%).

Among destinations reporting data on international tourism receipts in the first five to seven months of 2022, Serbia (+73%), Sudan (+64%), Romania (+43%), Albania (+32%), North Macedonia (+24%), Pakistan (+18%), Türkiye, Bangladesh and Latvia (all +12%), Mexico and Portugal (both +8%), Kenya (+5%) and Colombia (+2%) all exceeded pre-pandemic levels in January-July 2022.

Tourism spending rises but challenges grow

The ongoing recovery can also be seen in outbound tourism spending from major source markets. Expenditure from France climbed to -12% in January-July 2022 compared to 2019 while spending from Germany rose to -14%. International tourism spending stood at -23% in Italy and -26% in the United States.

Robust performance was also recorded in international passenger air traffic, with a 234% increase in January-July 2022 (45% below 2019 levels) and a recovery of some 70% of pre-pandemic traffic levels in July, according to IATA.

Stronger-than-expected demand has also created important operational and workforce challenges in tourism companies and infrastructure, particularly airports. Additionally, the economic situation, exacerbated by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, represents a major downside risk. The combination of increasing interest rates in all major economies, rising energy and food prices and the growing prospects of a global recession as indicated by the World Bank, are major threats to the recovery of international tourism through the remainder of 2022 and 2023. The potential slowdown can be seen in the latest UNWTO Confidence Index, which reflects a more cautious outlook, as well as in booking trends which are showings signs of slower growth.

Tourism Experts Cautiously Confident

On a scale of 0 to 200, the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts rated the period May-August 2022 with a score of 125, matching the bullish expectations expressed by the Panel in the May survey for the same 4-month period (124).

Prospects for the remainder of the year are cautiously optimistic. Although above-average performance is expected, tourism experts rated the period September-December 2022 with a score of 111, below the 125 score of the previous four months, showing a downgrade in confidence levels. Almost half of experts (47%) see positive prospects for the period September-December 2022, while 24% expect no particular change and 28% consider it could be worse.  Experts also seem confident about 2023, as 65% see better tourism performance than in 2022.

The uncertain economic environment seems to have nonetheless reversed prospects for a return to pre-pandemic levels in the near term. Some 61% of experts now see a potential return of international arrivals to 2019 levels in 2024 or later while those indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 has diminished (27%) compared to the May survey (48%). According to experts, the economic environment continues to be the main factor weighing on the recovery of international tourism. Rising inflation and the spike in oil prices results in higher transport and accommodation costs, while putting consumer purchasing power and savings under pressure.

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• World Tourism Barometer (PPT version)
• UNWTO World Tourism Barometer | Volume 20 • Issue 5 • September 2022 | EXCERPT
• Impact of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on international tourism
• UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard
• World Tourism Day 2022: Rethinking Tourism

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