Ghana, The Gambia Seal Tourism Pact to Drive Intra-African Travel and Investment

Ghana and The Gambia have signed a tourism cooperation agreement aimed at boosting intra-African travel and investment, with private-sector operators from both countries committing to jointly market their destinations as complementary West African experiences.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in Accra following a high-level visit by a nine-member Gambian delegation led by Amie Njie Joof, Permanent Secretary of The Gambia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. The delegation met with the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF), the umbrella body for Ghana's private-sector tourism operators, and the resulting agreement commits both sides to cross-promotion of cultural and culinary events, joint participation in international tourism fairs, and the development of joint tour packages.

Building on Existing Ties

The deal builds on longstanding but underutilized links between the two English-speaking West African nations. Ghana and The Gambia already cooperate in tourism education—Gambian students study at the University of Cape Coast—and share air connectivity, with approximately four to five weekly flights between Accra and Banjul. Trade in locally manufactured cosmetics is also ongoing.

The new framework, however, seeks to move beyond these scattered exchanges toward a coordinated destination strategy. Speaking at the engagement, Njie Joof emphasized the need to "translate discussions into practical initiatives," calling for "more action and fewer words." She highlighted the potential for each country to sell the other's attractions, describing the opportunity as "how Gambia can sell Ghana and vice versa."

Sector Momentum

For Ghana, the partnership comes as its tourism sector shows strong momentum. The country welcomed 1,306,962 international arrivals in 2025, generating an estimated $4.34 billion in revenue, while domestic visits grew 7% to 1.79 million. The Gambia recorded 233,113 tourist arrivals in 2025, a modest 3% increase, with tourism contributing roughly 19% of GDP—underscoring the sector's outsized economic importance to the smaller nation.

Investment and Standards in Focus

GHATOF President Seth Yeboah Ocran used the occasion to stress that tourism development requires more than sightseeing promotion. He called for deliberate investment in human capital, professional training, certification, and service quality—including rigorous food hygiene standards—arguing that service quality is essential to making both destinations competitive.

The MOU also creates a framework for business-to-business partnerships across hotels, tour operators, airlines, and restaurants, with the aim of encouraging visitors to explore multiple West African destinations in a single trip rather than treating each country as an isolated stopover.

Regional Integration Context

The Ghana-Gambia pact reflects a broader push toward intra-African tourism integration. The Gambian delegation's visit to Accra, which began in late October, included stops at the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Tourism Development Company, where discussions covered destination branding, capacity building, product development, and regulatory alignment.

Both governments have signaled that easing entry requirements for regional travelers is among the barriers they hope to address, though no specific policy changes have been announced. For now, the focus will be on translating the signed commitments into operational programs—joint promotional campaigns, reciprocal familiarization trips for tour operators, and shared participation in international trade fairs—that deliver measurable visitor growth for both nations.