President John Dramani Mahama has expressed disappointment over the state of customer service at many of Ghana’s tourist destinations, describing the overall experience as “poor” and a barrier to growth in the tourism sector.
Speaking during a media encounter on September 10, 2025, the President identified poor service delivery as one of the main weaknesses holding back Ghana’s tourism industry. He explained that professionalism and quality service were often lacking at tourist centers across the country.
“One of the things that affects our tourism in Ghana and West Africa is that our service is poor. You go to a restaurant and they think that they are doing you a favour. You go to eat and they think that they owe you to serve them. But if you go to another part of the world, it is different,” he lamented.
The President drew comparisons with other countries, highlighting how their focus on excellent hospitality created positive experiences for visitors and boosted their tourism appeal.
Mahama urged owners and managers of tourist establishments to prioritise professionalism and hire skilled personnel instead of untrained staff. He cautioned against the common practice of employing unqualified relatives to handle customer-facing roles.
“Most times, you will spend so much money to set up an establishment, and instead of going for professionals, you go and haul relatives from the village to serve people. Owners of these establishments should make sure service delivery is at nearly 100 percent,” he advised.
According to the President, Ghana must urgently improve both the attractiveness of its tourist sites and the quality of service delivery if it hopes to compete globally. Without better customer experiences, he warned, the nation risks losing tourists to other destinations in Africa and beyond.
Mahama emphasised that the tourism industry has great potential to contribute to Ghana’s economy, but only if service providers adopt higher standards of hospitality and professionalism.
