The Accommodation Occupancy Report from March to June 2025 released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that even though the country had substantial accommodation capacity, but room demand still weakened.
The report pointed out that, though around 5 million room-nights were available each month, monthly occupied room-nights fell from 2.14 million in March to 1.99 million in June, about 7 percent in monthly totals and about 4 percent on an average daily basis.
According to the GSS, the issue was therefore not simply capacity, but how effectively existing capacity was being used.
The report said national room occupancy remained around 40 percent. This was 41.7 percent in March, 41.9 percent in April, 39.7 percent in May and 40.0 percent in June. Put simply, only four in every ten available rooms were occupied. It added that bed occupancy was higher, ranging from 46.2 percent to 49.2 percent.
“National averages masked wide differences across the industry. Hotels provided about seven in every ten available rooms, but their room occupancy remained around one-third. In contrast, hostels recorded 92.9 to 96.1 percent room occupancy, while establishments with 100 or more rooms consistently exceeded 83 percent”, the report said.
The Central and Western regions recorded some of the highest room occupancy rates, with Central Region reaching 56.8 percent in June and Western Region remaining above 50 percent throughout the period. Eastern, Bono East and North East regions remained below 25 percent. Ghana’s accommodation market therefore differs substantially across regions.
Domestic guests were the backbone of demand. About 1.78 million to 1.86 million domestic guests were recorded monthly, compared with only 23,000 to 30,000 foreign guests. The Central Region recorded the most domestic guests, while Greater Accra Region attracted the most foreign guests. Foreign guests were fewer but generally stayed longer, averaging three to nine nights, compared with about one to two nights for domestic guests.
The report emphasized that “overall, the evidence points to substantial capacity, relatively stable national occupancy, weakening room demand and large differences across regions and accommodation segments. These differences matter for where Ghana promotes tourism, expands capacity and directs business and investment decisions”.
Implications
The report explained that Ghana has substantial accommodation capacity, but how well it is used varies sharply by location, establishment type and market segment. The priority is therefore not only to expand capacity, but also to make better use of what already exists.
Government’s approach
For government and tourism institutions, planning should focus on where demand is strong, where capacity is underused and why. Regional differences mean that one national approach will not fit every part of Ghana.
For accommodation businesses, occupancy alone is not enough. Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR should be used together to guide pricing, marketing, operations and investment. Persistently low occupancy should be understood before additional capacity is created.
Investors approach
For investors and financial institutions, national averages can hide opportunities and risks. Investment decisions should consider location, establishment type and size, occupancy, revenue performance and guest profile.
For the tourism industry, domestic travellers should remain central because they account for the overwhelming majority of guests. At the same time, the generally longer stays of foreign guests highlight the value of attracting international visitors and encouraging longer stays.
“For GSS, GTA and accommodation establishments, sustained production of timely, high-quality accommodation statistics is essential. A longer time series will strengthen understanding of seasonality, demand, pricing and emerging investment opportunities”, the report advised.
Below is report