Ghana accommodation industry faces high vacancy rates despite large capacity

A report from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) covering March to June 2025 reveals that Ghana’s accommodation industry faces significant underutilization despite having substantial capacity. While approximately five million room-nights were available monthly, national room occupancy rates hovered around 40 percent.

Occupied room-nights saw a decline from 2.14 million in March to 1.99 million in June. The data suggests that the primary challenge for the sector is not a shortage of rooms, but rather the inability to convert tourism assets and business travel into sustained overnight stays. Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu noted that the opportunity lies in making better use of existing capacity rather than simply expanding it.

Performance varied significantly by establishment type and region. While hotels maintained an occupancy rate of roughly one-third, hostels recorded much higher rates between 92.9 percent and 96.1 percent. Regionally, the Central and Western regions saw the highest occupancy, whereas the Eastern, Bono East, and North East regions remained below 25 percent. Domestic travelers remain the primary drivers of demand, significantly outnumbering foreign guests.