GTA launches “December in GH” - 64 Events endorsed

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched the sixth edition of the “December in GH” initiative to enhance tourism and synchronise a series of events for the Christmas and New Year festive seasons. 

The launch was done in collaboration with the Beyond The Return Secretariat and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, at the Christiansborg Castle Gardens in Accra last Friday.

The GTA, in collaboration with other event organisers, has so far endorsed 64 official events out of 95 entries scheduled to run from November this year to January 2025.

Meanwhile, the Beyond The Return Secretariat is still accepting new entries until September 16 for review before announcing the full list of the endorsed events in October this year.

“December in GH” is an annual event that forms part of the 10-year “Beyond the Return” campaign with the theme: “A Decade of African Renaissance” put together by the GTA and the Beyond The Return Secretariat to boost tourism, bridge the gap between Ghana and the historical diaspora, and unify Africans via the “Year of Return” and “Beyond The Return” campaigns.

It also aims to unlock the potential of the country as the leading leisure destination on the continent that would bring together the global African diaspora, continental Africans, and the local Ghanaian community.

Some events approved as part of the “December in GH” festival are African Food Festival, Diaspora in Ghana Brunch, Kids in Tourism Festival, Taste of Ghana 5.0, Get Kojo Antwified, Potomanto Festival, Afro Colour Walk, Betom Home Coming, Tadifest, Tema Masquerades Carnival, Detty Rave, Afrofuture, Awudome Carnival, The African Festival, Family Day Out, Russia I Come From, Afropopera 2024, Little Havana 24, and Clean Ghana Beach Festival. 

Prospect

Addressing the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of GTA, Akwasi Agyeman, said the initiative has had a great impact on the country’s tourism and economic sector over the years.

He indicated that this year’s initiative promised to be bigger than the previous edition, saying a survey indicated that more than 70 per cent of visitors last year intended to return for this year’s.

The GTA boss added that an estimated population of over 1.3 million people were expected for the festival this year, which accounted for 150,000 people more compared to that of last year.

He added that the viability and vibrancy of the campaign had seen the average stay duration by visitors for the festive season increase over the years from 14 to 17 days, with hotel occupancy reaching heights of 99.6 per cent during the festive seasons.

 Mr Agyeman urged event organisers intending to make new entries to take into consideration logistics, security, venues and health safety, saying those were critical requirements for the success of the event.

He added that the collaborating organising bodies would not compromise on their requirements.

Commitment

The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, affirmed the government’s commitment to “enhancing and promoting our nation as a premier destination for international and local tourists”.

He said under the “December in GH” initiative, the country had cultivated a platform for cultural exchange, artistic expression and economic growth.

“Therefore, our goal is to create harmonious synergy among tourism, arts and culture sectors, an alignment that is critically essential to delivering authentic Ghanaian experiences to the world,” he said.

The minister stressed that since 2019, the tourism industry has witnessed a commendable trajectory of growth, with tourist arrivals surging by nearly 45 per cent from the previous year's figures, driven by the successful Year of Return and sustained cultural interest.

Mr Mercer urged the GTA to work to achieve a target of five million visitors to the country in the next five years to exploit the potential of the tourism sector.