Domestic Tourism Participation by Public Sector Workers: A Case Study from Accra, Ghana

Domestic tourism is said to be the backbone of the tourism industry. Domestic tourist consumption in the world’s leading tourist destinations represents more than 60 per cent of total tourist consumption (Roa, 2004) and 83 percent of overall arrivals (Pierret, 2011). However, in developing countries domestic tourism is often marginalized in the interest of promoting international tourism, as tour operators focus their efforts on selling tickets and tours for foreign tourists. This study’s objective is to examine public sector participation in domestic tourism in the Osu Klottey Sub Metropolitan Assembly of Accra, Ghana, employing a descriptive research design with stratified and simple random samplings of 109 respondents. We find that most respondents are self-motivated to travel domestically, and among those who do take part, VFRs rather than tourism-specific activities usually represent the main motivations. Moreover, a majority of domestic tourists report that problems they experience deter them from further patronage. Most respondents find the domestic tourism product to be unattractive, but confirm that better attractions could increase propensity to travel. In conclusion, our findings offer suggestions to help improve patronage of domestic tourism among Ghanaian public sector workers. Namely, the variety of activities on offer must not only be broadened, but also promoted more effectively through rigorous publicity efforts. Key words: domestic tourism, Ghana, developing world tourism, tourism, destination.