The importance of tourism as a factor in economic development is widely accepted.

The expansion of the international tourist trade, generating foreign exchange earnings and stimulating employment and incomes, has been recognized globally.

Not surprisingly, World Bank economic reviews and appraisals have regularly considered the tourist industry in the countries surveyed.

Tourism, like other economic activities, thrives best within a context of general economic policies and programs designed for optimum overall economic growth. Some form of national planning, at least in setting priorities and ensuring emphasis, is necessary to create a climate for productive investment in all suitable fields.

While businessmen do invest in hotels and other tourist facilities even in the absence of a national plan for tourism, a plan devised in consultation with the tourist industry, acceptable to it, and widely understood, is probably the single most important step any country can take to ensure a balanced program of investment in tourism development.

Most countries, including Ghana, provide a range of incentives for productive investment in various types of activities, with tourist enterprises often included. A re-examination of such an incentive system can often ensure that the special needs of tourism are more effectively met.

For example, many countries offer a set of tax incentives for listed investment, including rebates, allowances, tax holidays, and the like. Tourism often requires a special “package,” including favorable real estate taxation. Incentives are used as an instrument of the national program, with zones of high priority receiving the most favorable concessions.

Africa is fast emerging as a hot tourist destination for travelers worldwide as air connectivity and new road networks improve accessibility to the continent's remote natural tourist spots, attracting visitors from across the globe. Improved air and ground connectivity have resulted in an increase in the number of travelers visiting Africa for leisure and tourism.

A record 67 million tourists visited Africa in 2018, up from 58 million in 2016, ranking the African continent as the second fastest-growing region for tourists. According to a recent report by the World Tourism Organization, the number of tourist arrivals in Africa will more than double to 134 million by 2030.

As the number of airlines flying into Africa continues to grow, the continent is sure to attract a growing number of both leisure and business visitors in the coming years. Consequently, new hotels are emerging across Africa to accommodate these visitors.

Not surprisingly, many multinational hotel chains are beginning to recognize the huge potential and investment opportunities opening up in Africa, especially in the tourism and hotel sectors.

The Radisson Hotel Group, for example, has signed 11 new hotel deals in Africa during the first nine months of 2019, increasing its African real estate to almost 100 properties. According to industry experts, the Radisson Hotel Group is expected to reach more than 130 hotels and 23,000 rooms in Africa by 2022.

Ghana's recreation and tourism sector showcase a rich display of different cultures, festivals, arts and crafts, forests, water bodies, wildlife, and historical attractions. This sector provides employment opportunities for several Ghanaians, including those working in travel and tour companies, music and dance, handicrafts, hospitality, and cuisine.

The tourism industry comprises key sectors such as accommodation, food and beverage, and attractions. The accommodation sector includes hotels, guest houses, lodges, hostels, and apartment complexes. In 2021, hotels and restaurants in Ghana contributed around $640 million to Ghana's GDP.

The food and beverage sector comprises companies and enterprises that operate restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and other food vendors. This sector has become highly competitive over the years, with the proliferation of several small producers. The demand for high-quality cuisine has increased in Ghana due to the growth of the middle class.

Ghana boasts several tourist attractions, including 21 protected areas, 7 national parks, 6 resource reserves, 2 wildlife sanctuaries, 1 strict nature reserve, and 5 coastal wetlands. The largest national park in Ghana is the Mole National Park. Other attractions include ecotourism sites, waterfalls, beaches, and heritage sites.

Ghana's stable political environment makes it conducive for tourism and entertainment-related activities. The country's investment laws provide guarantees to attract investors, including guarantees against expropriation and the free transferability of profits and dividends.

The Kwahu traditional area occupies the northern part of the Eastern Region of Ghana, covering about 51,520 sq. km. It can be divided into three distinct geographical regions: the southwest lowlands, the plateau region sloping into the Afram River basin (an arm of the Volta Lake), and the Afram Plains.

The land rises sharply from the southern lowlands to an average height of about 580m on the plateau, where important towns are located. Abetifi, for example, is noted as one of the highest settled points in the country, with the highest peak being Mt. Odweanoma (780m).

The name Kwahu applies both to the people and the area, with several dramatic explanations of its origin. One explanation suggests that it was given to a tribe resisting the expanding domination of the Ashanti Empire. These people barricaded themselves on a high ridge overlooking the Afram River, threatening to roll rocks down on anyone who pursued them.

Outsiders called the area ‘’Kwahu’’ - Go and die! Today's welcome is warmer, and the scenery is full of drama, with weather-sculpted rocks towering above ravines, waterfalls, huge trees, rivers, and the great expanse of Lake Volta, making Kwahu a hidden paradise.

The varied topography of Kwahu presents the area as one of the most diverse regions in the country, endowed with a variety of tourism attractions.

These include the prominent escarpment revealing horizontal beds of sandstones, high points offering panoramic views, waterfalls, rock structures, and the famous Buruku inselberg near Kwahu Tafo. The Kwahu Plateau is a 260 km (160 mi) long plateau in southern Ghana, forming the main watershed of Ghana.

Since the launch of the first “Ghana Hang and Paragliding Festival” on the Kwahu Mountains (Mt. Odweanoma) in March 2005, the Kwahu Easter has assumed a national and international character. The paragliding event has helped popularize the Kwahu Easter Holidays and placed Kwahu on the international tourist map. People from all walks of life visit Kwahu during Easter.

The increase in visitations to Kwahu has been spurred on by the growth in tourism-related enterprises. The past ten years have seen the emergence of several hotels, including Rock City, a 300-room 4-star hotel at Kwahu Nkwatia, Freedom Hills Hotel at Nkwatia, Modak Royal Hotel at Pepease, Rojo Hotel at Nkawkaw, Wags Hotel at Obomeng, Ohene Nana Klassic at Mpraeso, Nyarkoa Ba Nyarko Royal Hotel, a 3-star hotel at Obo, and several others.

Kwahu features the authentic experience of local culture and traditions and natural tourist sites such as waterfalls, caves, and fortresses. With the development of the airport at Nkwantanang-Ahinase in the Kwahu East District, expected to serve as a boost to tourism, investors are urged to explore the untapped tourism potential in the area.

The Kwahu Investment Dialogue, focusing on the Agricultural and Tourism potentials in the Kwahu enclave, is crucial.

With the forecast growth in global tourism to 2030, significant investment will be required to provide the necessary infrastructure to meet expected demand while enhancing economic, social, and environmental outcomes. An integrated approach across various departments and levels of government, along with industry input and support, will be essential.