A GNA feature by Ewoenam Kpodo
Ho, May 29, GNA-Tourism leaders, creatives, and locals say the region’s blend of nature, culture and wellness makes it Ghana’s best-kept secret—and its next big opportunity.
“It is with profound joy and a deep sense of honor that I welcome you all to Ho, the “Oxygen Cit”’, and regional capital of Volta Region,” said Mr Thomas Clarkson Adade, Volta/Oti Chapter President of the Association of Rural Banks (ARB), as he opened the 10th Rural Banking Week Celebration and the 2nd ARB Women’s Conference in November 2025.
His invitation was not just ceremonial. Mr Adade urged delegates to “take time to experience the natural beauty and the rich culture of Volta Region,” listing a trail of destinations that read like a tourism brochure: The Tafi-Atome Monkey Sanctuary, the majestic Wli Waterfall, the scenic heights of Mountain Afadja—Ghana’s highest peak—and the historic Mount Gemi at Amedzofe.
“For reflection, recreation and renewal,” he said. And that, increasingly, is how visitors describe the Volta Region.
Ghana’s Ecotourism Crown Jewel
The chorus of praise has grown louder this year, with tourism leaders and content creators putting the region on the national spotlight.
Mr Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey (popularly known as Abeiku Santana), Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), called Volta Region “the best region when it comes to ecotourism.
“Your region is the best region when it comes to ecotourism because you have both the flora and you have the fauna. You have the forest and you have the beach. The finest pristine beaches you can have in Ghana is in Keta, where you have white sand beach,” he said.
Mr Aggrey’s remarks came in response to a viral Facebook post by Ghanaian vlogger and YouTuber Berthold Kobby Winkler Ackon, known as Wode Maya, who wrote: “Every Ghanaian should definitely own a vacation home in the Volta region. That region is Ghana’s best kept secret.”
Mr Aggrey agreed, describing Volta Region as “the untapped virgin ecotourism destination we have in the country.” He stressed that the region’s selling point is its diversity: “Everything is green. Very green… No region beats Volta Region when it comes to eco.”
A Clean Coast, A Proud People
The praise is not just for the mountains and waterfalls. Coastal communities are also drawing attention to their environmental stewardship.
Musician and climate change ambassador Okyeame Kwame, born Kwame Nsiah-Apau, shared a 56-second video from Dzita-Anyanui area on the Volta coast, congratulating residents for keeping their environment clean.
“I want to clap for all Voltarians in Ghana. I like the way you keep your rivers clean, the way you keep your green,” he said, gesturing at the lush scenery. “The way you keep your beach. No single rubber. See the way the sea is beautiful and clean. You people know how to love nature. God bless all Voltarians.”
Digital music expert and publicist Jonathan Nii Laryea, known as Jonilar, put it bluntly: “I can boldly say this without any apology that after travelling round Ghana and going to Volta almost every second, I can tell you on authority that Volta Region is Ghana’s tourism capital unless you’ve not been to the region.”
Travel vlogger Benjamin Kojo Mensah, known as Goshers, went further after a visit in April 2026: “I declare Volta Region as the tourism capital of Ghana. Henceforth.”
More than Scenery: A Wellness and Investment Frontier
Volta Region’s appeal extends beyond aesthetics. Described as a “microcosm of Ghana,” it combines water bodies, varied land types, wildlife and forest reserves, caves, lagoons, and a stretch of golden, picturesque beachfront. Historic sites sit alongside cultural festivals, traditional cuisines, and some of the country’s finest beach resorts and hotels.
The hospitality of its people, stakeholders say, is the region’s strongest asset. “The warmth, hospitality and the cultural pride is topnotch.” Mrs Roberta Okine-Fumado, the Acting Volta Regional Director, GTA noted in an interview with Ghana News Agency.
She said unlike other regions where tourists would have to go all the way to visit just one or two attraction sites, the Volta Region has a lot of (over 100) attraction sites. It has the adventurous aspect – hiking, canopy walks, snake village, monkey sanctuary, crocodile pond, and waterfalls; the spiritual – grotto for those on pilgrimage; and the historic – museum, fort, slave market among others.
“Volta is well-endowed and it’s like a one-stop shop, where you get everything that you need, a lot of experience as a tourist,” she said.
Mrs Okine-Fumador mentioned infrastructure challenges such as the lack of nearby hotels, hindering the full tourism experience. She called on investors to enhance tourism infrastructure to create a more comprehensive visitor experience.
Education and health infrastructure are adding a new layer to the tourism story. Prominent among them being the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) and the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), with the latter positioning Ho as a hub for medical tourism and wellness retreats.
Dr John Tampuori, the immediate past Chief Executive of the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), who originated the Medical Tourism outfit of the hospital says the facility is actively expanding its footprint in health tourism to merge wellness retreat, spa and culture to cater for local and international patients including from neighboring Togo, Benin, and Nigeria to maximize service and economic gains.
Again, Strategic Aviation Services (SAS), a consortium of aviation experts and pilots, is exploring measures to align aviation services to medical evacuation, health logistics, tourism charter, disaster response and other humanitarian flights.
“SAS is ready to establish a general aviation model that is locally legitimate, globally relevant and future-ready to boost medical tourism,” Mr Asiwome Dzakuma, the Executive Director of SAS, told the GNA.
For visitors across and beyond Ghana seeking recovery, relaxation and rejuvenation, the region offers both clinical care and natural therapy—mountain air, forest walks and ocean breezes.
Unlocking the Opportunity
For all its promise, much of Volta’s potential remains untapped. Stakeholders agree that the next step is packaging the region’s assets into marketable experiences and investing in access, accommodation, and local capacity.
“Everything is green. Very green. There should always be a call to action,” Abeiku Santana said. “When you’re a salesperson – one of the strong attributes of a salesperson is your ability to convince, persuade one to buy your product.”
That call to action is being answered by a mix of public and private institutions, rural banks, creatives, and community leaders who see tourism as a driver for jobs, culture preservation, and rural development. Events like the Volta Trade and Investment Fair (VTIF), a flagship public-private partnership platform between the Association of Ghana Industries and the Volta Regional Coordinating Council in Ho are being used not just for business, but to showcase the region to decision-makers and investors.
Mr James Gunu, the Volta Regional Minister, who officially opened the seventh VTIF in November 2025 stressed: “Volta Region is becoming the best investment destination in Ghana and beyond. And this (VTIF) is just one of the platforms that we intend to use to promote and ensure that the region’s potentials get values.”
As Mr Adade put it to his audience in Ho: experience the region, and you understand why it heals.
For travelers, Volta offers a rare combination: landscapes that captivate, communities that welcome, and an environment that feels restorative. For Ghana, it may be the clearest path to making ecotourism and wellness tourism a real pillar of the economy.
The Volta Region is picturesque. It is therapeutic. And according to those who know it best, it is ready.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah
Writer Ewoenam Kpodo
Writer’s email: [email protected]
