Ghana is to set up a professional convention bureau in 2027 to compete for recurring African and world conferences, the 2027 Budget has announced.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister, unveiled the bureau plan when he presented the 2027 Budget to Parliament on Thursday.
It sits under a US$1 billion pillar for tourism, culture and creative arts; the Budget’s headline figures include GH¢389 billion in spending and no new taxes.
The goal, in the Budget’s words, is to position Ghana as West Africa’s first choice for international conferences and business tourism.
The pitch rests on the country’s history, its culture and its reputation for peace and democratic stability, part of a US$1 billion tourism and arts push.
To push that goal forward, SSNIT is to build and run, at the La Trade Fair Centre, an ultra-modern international convention centre.
The Budget describes it as a landmark venue that will bring major international gatherings to Ghana.
Accra will anchor the drive as the principal international hub.
Kumasi is to grow as a supporting destination, leaning on its cultural heritage to stage business, cultural and other big events.
The Budget also promises tax incentives for SSNIT to build five hotels by 2030: five-star hotels in Accra and Kumasi, and modern four-star hotels for the Cape Coast and Elmina heritage corridor, the Volta Region and northern Ghana.
A new National Theatre in Kumasi is to follow as an asset for culture, performance, conferences and the creative industries.
Conferences are meant to stretch the visitor economy beyond December. December in Ghana remains the anchor, with heritage journeys, ancestry services, family reunions and the creative arts filling the rest of the year, and the Black Star Experience running through all twelve months.
Readers planning a trip can browse this year’s December events calendar.
By 2030, the Budget is counting on more arrivals, longer visits, bigger visitor spending and healthier foreign-exchange earnings, with the benefits reaching farmers, food vendors, transport operators, craftspeople, artists, technology firms and event businesses.
The drive comes as the tourism authority has warned hotels and transport operators against excessive December pricing.
What the Budget does not say
The Statement attaches no budget to the bureau and says nothing about its legal setup, staffing or when in 2027 it will launch.
It names no target conferences and no existing venues, and gives no conference-arrival or earnings figures. The full 2027 Budget Statement is published on the Finance Ministry’s website.
