GTA launches December in GH events

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, has launched the first batch of activities and events for this year's December in Ghana (GH) campaign.

December in GH is the country’s biggest celebration that touches on tourism, arts and culture, embracing all positive things cultural, entertainment, adventure, tours, music, movies, nightlife, fashion and gastronomy, among others.

The seasonal celebration was originally launched in 2019 during the Year of Return as a tourism activation and has since become an important part of marketing events that attract thousands to visit Ghana for the holiday season into the new year.

 Acknowledged as one of Ghana’s largest tourism projects, December in GH is expected to bring together people from the diaspora community and for Ghana to be seen as the destination of choice.

The over 90 events endorsed by the Beyond the Return Steering Committee were outlined in Accra yesterday by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Akwasi Agyeman.

Togetherness

Mr Agyeman noted that the initiative was not for just a month but intended to be a spirit of togetherness.

"December in GH depicts the spirit of different cultural activities showcasing the warmth of our people in the spirit of togetherness," he said.

He also called on the tour operators to package their services well enough to sell Ghana.

"These events give people the opportunity to explore other parts of the country when they visit.

There are others who would want to visit tourist sites like the waterfalls, etc.

Make sure you are on top of your game,"  Mr Agyeman stressed.

He also seized the opportunity to call on other event organisers, who wish to be a part of the initiative this year, to submit proposals for consideration, as his outfit put together the last batch of events this year.

Events

Events approved so far include Afropark, Rhythms on da Runway, YouTube Creators Festival, Mixed Bag, Ayiiyi, Kidfest, Taste of Ghana, Uniland Festival, Afrofuture and Jerk Festival.

Others are Jungle Rave, African Food Festival, Youth Festival, African Legends Night, Adinkra Festival, I Cry Accra, Retro Rave, the Cake Fair, Tadifest, Detty Rave 5 and Creative Arts Festival, among others.

Mr Agyeman encouraged the media to scale up the positive projection of the initiative instead of issues and incidents that were usually projected.

"I am not saying we shouldn't project these things, but let's use our media platform to project more positive things.

“When that happens, investors who want to invest will have no choice but to see December in GH as a catalyst.

Let us all be a part of it," he said.

Safety

The Director, Beyond the Return, Annabelle Mckenzie, stressed that the safety of all attendees was on top of the list of things needed to make this year's December in GH a memorable one.

"We want to make sure there are no issues. In approving and selecting the events, we ensured that the organisers had the capacity to accommodate patrons with all the security and safety considerations," Ms Mckenzie said.

Beyond the Return

Beyond the Return is a 10-year initiative with the theme, ‘A decade of African renaissance’.

 It was the follow-up to the successful Year of Return campaign in 2019 that invited the global African diaspora to visit Ghana.

Seven pillars make up the foundation of Beyond the Return with the goal of continued engagement and building strong relations with the diaspora community.

 The pillars are Experience Ghana, Celebrate Ghana, Invest in Ghana, Brand Ghana, Give Back Ghana, Diaspora Pathways to Ghana and Promote Pan-African Heritage and Innovation.

Writer’s email: delali.sika
@graphic.com.gh