Cape Coast, Ghana, has substantial heritage, coastal, cultural and educational assets, yet visitor activity remains concentrated at Cape Coast Castle, where recorded visits rose from 101,134 in 2023 to 141,523 in 2025. This study examines how these assets are governed and where the links between them break down. A qualitative, multi-source design combined policy documents, in-depth interviews with 26 tourists, a tourism resource assessment, and an exploratory review of the city's sister cities (Bonn, Little Rock and New Orleans). Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, and draft findings were discussed with 32 stakeholders at a consultative workshop. Eight recurring gaps emerged, including weak institutional coordination, limited visitor services and information, narrow product diversification, and limited community participation. Read through Arnstein's ladder of participation, residents and small businesses appear mainly as consultees rather than shared decision-makers, a pattern termed policy invisibility. The findings are perceptual and non-generalizable, and the sister-city material offers ideas rather than transferable models. A phased, indicative framework aligned with the Eight-Year Development Plan (2026–2033) is proposed, pending baseline measurement. The paper argues that Cape Coast's central task is coordination across institutions and districts rather than adding attractions.