Like many other African countries, Ghana wants to leverage technology to improve its economy. Since 2017, the current government has identified many sectors where digital tools will transform government efficiency.

Starting next year, Ghana will automate revenue collection at major tourist sites, Tourism Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal (pictured), revealed at the Editor’s Forum held in Accra in mid-August. The transition marks a shift from a fully manual collection to a cashless system that is expected to enhance revenue generation and investment in the sector.

According to Dr. Awal, tourist attractions rely heavily on manual revenue collection but this will soon change with the cashless systems being first implemented at the newly renovated Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, before being “replicated nationwide at other attractions.”

By introducing automated revenue collection systems in its tourism sector, Ghana wants to capitalize on the experience of countries like Kenya and Tanzania that have achieved notable success in that segment. For instance, in Tanzania, the digital payment approach has helped curb embezzlement and streamline revenue collection.

If successful, the modern approach may get Ghana closer to its ambition to generate $5 billion from the tourism sector by 2025. In 2022, the sector generated $2 billion. This year, the country eyes $3.4 billion in revenue.

By 2025, it hopes to attract two million visitors yearly. To do so, it bets on private-sector partnerships and various initiatives including the modernization of cultural sites like the Dubois Centre and Osu Castle, along with positioning Ghana as a hub for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) in the sub-region.

Hikmatu Bilali