In a major diplomatic success that projects the nation's leadership in heritage tourism onto the global stage, Ghana has officially been granted the hosting rights for the 70th Session of the UN Tourism Commission for Africa (CAF) in 2027.
This follows a decisive vote by Member States at the 69th CAF Meeting in Seychelles from July 2 - 4.
The commission is the principal decision-making organ for African tourism policy under the UN Tourism umbrella, and its 70th session in Accra will mark decades of coordinated tourism development across the continent.
The selection of Ghana to host the next summit positions the country at the heart of continental tourism policy discussions at a moment of profound symbolic and historic significance.
Significantly, the 2027 gathering will coincide with Ghana's 70th Independence Anniversary, creating a powerful convergence of the country's liberation heritage and its forward-looking vision for tourism leadership in Africa.
The awarding of the 2027 rights to Ghana comes at a time when the continental hospitality ecosystem is undergoing a profound philosophical shift, moving away from abstract metrics toward talent-led growth.
Historic milestones
Leading Ghana’s delegation to present its bid to the assembly of UN Tourism leadership, tourism ministers, and global heads of delegation, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, aligned the goals of the Commission with Ghana's own upcoming historic milestone.
Ghana’s delegation, which included Ghana’s Ambassador to Spain, Kalsoume Sinare Baffoe, and the Director of Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Dr Godfred Tamakloe, assured member states of the country’s top-tier logistical infrastructure, institutional security protocols, premium hospitality assets, and an established track record of flawlessly executing mega-scale international conferences, creative expos, and commemorative state programmes.
The minister also stated that the historic summit in Accra in 2027 will not only celebrate seven decades of sovereignty, but it will also design the next chapter of the African tourism narrative.
“The year 2027 presents a unique and historic opportunity,” Ms Gomashie stated, emphasising the historic weight of pairing the 70th CAF session with the Ghana @ 70 celebrations.
“Hosting CAF in Ghana would provide a fitting platform to celebrate, as Seychelles has done, two remarkable milestones that symbolise Africa's journey of freedom, resilience, progress and partnership.”
Beyond standard policy coordination, Ms Gomashie revealed that Ghana intends to leverage this high-level continental platform to honour a profound historical milestone in global advocacy.
“We in Ghana will also use the opportunity to celebrate and show appreciation for your support to President John Dramani Mahama on the journey to the declaration by the UN that indeed slavery is the worst form of crime against humanity,” she stated.
Impact of tourism
Addressing the opening of the 69th UN Tourism CAF Meeting, the President of Seychelles, Dr Patrick Herminie, grounded the discussion in lived experience rather than raw data.
“We must move beyond celebrating arrival numbers and start measuring how tourism improves lives,” President Herminie urged, calling on African states to share practical solutions and learn from one another.
He argued that Africa’s tourism competitiveness will increasingly depend on how well countries invest in their people—from frontline hospitality workers to managers, creatives, and entrepreneurs across the value chain.
Sharing the country’s blueprint, President Herminie explained that Seychelles’ own approach had centred on early skills development, hospitality education, and positioning tourism as a career of dignity and opportunity for young people through initiatives such as tourism clubs in schools and professional training pathways.
The UN Tourism Secretary-General, Shaikha Al Nuwais, who delivered a clear institutional agenda for the continent's development, stressed that tourism could become one of the continent’s most powerful job-creation engines for the millions of young unemployed Africans if only skills development kept pace with growth.
"Buildings do not create hospitality. People do," Secretary-General Al Nuwais stated. "Tourism is not only about filling jobs. It is about opening doors for young people, women and communities."
Gateway to Africa
Long recognised as the "Gateway to Africa" and geographically situated as the landmass closest to the centre of the world, Ghana has spent the past decade positioning itself as a pioneer of heritage and diaspora tourism.
The 70th CAF session will serve to solidify its status as the continent's primary hub for cross-cultural exchange, luxury heritage travel, and the creative arts.
