“Beyond the Return”: GTA launches ‘December in GH’ 2023

THE Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), under the aegis of the country’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), has outdoored the first batch of 92 events to mark this year’s ‘December in Ghana (GH)’, a major component of the ministry’s Beyond The Return project.

“Beyond the Return” is a follow-up to the successful “Year Of Return” Ghana 2019’ campaign which commemorated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in Jamestown Virginia in 1619.

The landmark campaign also celebrated the resilience of the African over the past 400 years and welcomed all people of African origin to return to Africa especially Ghana.

Speaking at a short ceremony in Accra to outdoor the events, Akwasi Agyeman, chief executive officer of GTA,  said the initiative had become one of the key pillars driving the country’s tourism growth.

According to the GTA CEO, a quick glance at the data showed that the last quarter of the year saw increased visitation from abroad and “so it’s become a very important platform for tourism practitioners and one that holds promise for Ghana’s tourism sector into the future.”

Agyeman described “December in GH” as not just a month but “a spirit of different cultural activities showcasing our richness, the warmth of our people and the spirit of togetherness.”

He urged all, especially the media to work together as the season dawns, to explore the benefits that the project brings to Ghana.

The GTA boss noted that his team was not going to sleep after the launch of events but would engage regularly with stakeholders including the event organisers, the airlines, the police, hoteliers and restaurant owners  to ensure a smooth celebration.

“We will hold your hands and work with you to ensure that any bottlenecks or challenges faced are cleared,” he assured.

Agyeman mentioned that hoteliers and restaurant owners will be engaged not just on customer service but also on pricing, “to ensure that we don’t make our destination overly expensive.”

“It’s been five editions since the ‘December in GH’ activities were launched in August 2019 as part of the Year of Return. The whole idea was to create a brand that could pool all the activities that happened in December in Ghana.

“Being a public-private sector engineered programme, what we have done over the years is to crystallise all the events including festivals into a brand that is not just in the December period but goes beyond that, from November to December and in some cases till the end of January of the following year.

“All these events and promotions that ordinarily our private sector operators put together are done under this brand and what we have done is to employ the agencies of state to promote this so that Ghana is seen as the destination of choice,” he stated.

Art After Dark Ghana – November 3rd & Dec. 8th

Art After Dark is an event that enables artists to showcase their pieces, and allows attendees to simultaneously enjoy performances, talks, music and other cultural activities in a relaxed & festive atmosphere.

Anwamoo Festival – November 19th

Anwamoo Festival is a fun-filled social event that brings people together to cook and eat Ghana’s indigenous rice delicacy, anwamoo. The event also promotes social interaction, cultivates a sense of unity and amplifies the ‘Eat Ghana’ campaign by showcasing our rich local cuisine. It’s also a platform for networking to share business ideas while promoting local brands.

Gold Statement – November 23rd – 25th

This event is a conference, workshop, exhibition of the unique craftsmanship in Ghanaian handmade jewellery, climaxes with Gala Night and a jewellery catwalk/runway show.

The Youth Festival – November 24th – 25th

This is to connect young Africans aged 15-35 with an interest in the arts and music, to use technology to drive their entrepreneurial goals and prepare for the future jobs market. To expose the youth to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the tech space across industries.

I Cry Accra – November 25th

“I Cry Accra” is a theatrical performance. A story that takes place in contemporary Accra, to both highlight and reveal general impressions and reflections while giving rhetorical commentaries of a capital city we claim to know.

African Business Forum & Expo –  November 25th

African business opportunities forum and expo is a yearly event focused on gathering thousands of business stakeholders on the African continent and beyond to discuss, discover, network and be empowered to take advantage of the business opportunities within the African continent and the opportunities that AfCFTA offers.