Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online hotel booking website has outdoored it’s Hospitality Report for Ghana at an event in Accra.

“Being Africa’s leading online travel agent brings an added responsibility to provide the best services at the most unbeatable rates. In a country which is renowned to be a pacesetter in many facets of Africa’s developing economy, Ghana is a great part of our overall contribution to African development particularly in Tourism and Hospitality. Ghana has great potential in Tourism & Hospitality and we are devoted in using the internet and technology to grow the industry and impact lives’’ – Paul Midy – CEO Jumia Travel

This report which was compiled after several months of research and interaction with stakeholders and policy makers in the Ghanaian Tourism and Hospitality Industries dives deep into various trends in the hospitality and tourism industries as well as gives facts and figures about the country over the past year..

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Jumia Travel West Africa, Mr. Kushal Dutta said, ‘’Domestic travel spending generated 56.7% of direct Travel & Tourism GDP in 2016 compared with 43.3% for visitor exports (ie, foreign visitor spending or international tourism receipts).It is expected to grow by 5.4% in 2017 to GHC 5.1 M (USD 1.2 M), and rise by 5.3% pa to GHC 8.7 M (USD 2 M) in 2027. This means although there is a challenge in developing domestic tourism, there is still unlimited potential and Ghana as a country must increase efforts to tap into this sector of the industry’’

Among the many facts included in this report is that in 2016,Ghana ranked 4th in Africa, with a smartphone user penetration of 14% only falling behind South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. The success of e-commerce can also be attributed to the high number of smartphone users, which increased to 21% of the total population in 2016. It is forecasted to reach 18 million users in 2017.

Africa’s leading online travel agents,Jumia Travel explained that Global revenue for the total online travel booking segment was USD 178.8 billion in 2016, which is expected to grow to USD 288 billion by 2021. Globally in 2016, the number of hotel bookings made online stood at 148 million, while the percentage of same day hotel reservations via smartphone was at 65%.

interviews with Omolara Adagunodo (Country Manager,Jumia Travel Ghana), Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey (Tourism and Hospitality Expert), Mr. Ben Anane Nsiah (Manager of Special Events, Ghana Tourism Authority),Mr. Yaw K. Mamphey(Sales & Marketing Manager, Accra City Hotel), Rosina Acheampong (Travel Advisor, Jumia Travel Ghana) and Mr. Benjamin Amegashitsi (Revenue Manager, Jumia Travel Ghana) are included in this report.

Other important guests present included Mrs Vera Metzler-Hinson (Sales & Marketing Manager, RWANDAIR Ghana), Government representatives and some hotel partners as well as Educationists.

See full report  here