Ghana bets on AI and digital licensing to reshape tourism as GTA tightens enforcement
Ghana used this year's World Tourism Day to send a clear message to the trade: the country's tourism business is going digital, and operators who ignore the shift risk being left outside the system altogether. The national celebration took place in Koforidua on Sunday, 27 September, built around how artificial intelligence and digital tools can redraw the way destinations are sold, managed and regulated.
The event sat within the week-long Eastern Expo, hosted in the Eastern Regional capital under the theme "Unlocking Opportunities for Sustainable Trade, Tourism and Investment." It aligned with the global World Tourism Day theme for 2026, "Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism," giving the Ghanaian conversation a direct link to debates happening across the wider industry.
Addressing a seminar in Koforidua, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, pressed the sector to move faster on AI, digital payment systems, social media and online booking platforms. Her argument was practical rather than theoretical: Ghanaian destinations need to be easier to find, easier to book and easier to pay for. She also encouraged communities to identify what makes them distinctive and turn those assets into products that can genuinely compete, backed by stronger investment in digital skills, content creation, customer service and entrepreneurship, with particular attention to young people and women.
She added an important caution. AI, in her view, should support human creativity and raise productivity without eroding Ghana's cultural identity, heritage and data. That concern about who controls destination data and cultural narratives is one that resonates far beyond Ghana, and it is likely to shape procurement decisions across African tourism boards in the coming years.
Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey echoed the call for technology to be built into tourism development. She pointed to AI's potential to personalise visitor experiences and sharpen destination management, while insisting the transition must carry everyone along, from artisans and small businesses to traditional authorities. Ethical use of technology, she argued, should amplify and protect Ghanaian culture rather than flatten it, and she described the Eastern Expo theme as well-timed for a region actively courting tourism, trade and investment.
For Ghana Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto, the digital question runs deeper than marketing. She drew attention to the Ghana Tourism Information System, which she positioned as a cornerstone of the country's tourism modernisation. The platform allows operators to handle licensing, renewals, record management and tourism levy payments online. It also carries a facility verification function, letting the public confirm whether a tourism business actually holds a licence.
That last feature deserves attention from anyone selling Ghana. A publicly searchable register means intermediaries can check supplier credentials before committing clients, reducing exposure to unlicensed accommodation and unregistered operators. Houadjeto said digital regulation would lift operational efficiency and compliance while strengthening consumer protection and service standards. She also issued a warning: the Authority intends to step up enforcement against businesses operating outside the regulatory framework, and she urged operators to use the new platforms to bring their businesses into compliance. The system was launched earlier this year to modernise tourism administration, improve data collection and widen access to regulatory services nationwide.
Chairing the occasion, Odeefuo Oduro Boateng, Adahene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, representing the Omanhene, made the case for tourism to be woven more tightly into everyday community life. Speaking from his dual perspective as a traditional leader and a hospitality stakeholder, he pointed to the Eastern Region's natural and cultural attractions and endorsed AI and digital innovation as tools to bring them to wider audiences.
Taken together, the signals from Koforidua suggest a market preparing to professionalise quickly. For trade partners across the continent, the practical takeaway is that verification, data transparency and digital distribution are becoming the price of entry rather than optional extras.
