Report by Ben LARYEA
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) says the “December in GH” event has contributed immensely to the socio-economic growth of the country and has thus urged stakeholders in the entire hospitality and tourism value chain to take advantage of the program.
The annual event on the calendar of the GTA is aimed at promoting Ghana on the tourism map at the local and international level to showcase the unique cultural heritage of the citizens of the country and to open up tourist visits, particularly for Africans in the diaspora as well as the global community.
The programme held under the backdrop of the “Beyond the Return” initiative will witness activities such as traditional festivals, concerts, sporting events, musical shows, night life on some principal streets, fashion shows, fun fairs among others and will be held across the regions of the country.
Speaking at the launch of the 2023 edition of the “December in GH in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Mr Akwasi Agyeman said the annual event have place Ghana as the tourism hub in the West African sub-region and the world at large and have further promoted the country as a holiday destination for tourists across the world.
According to him, the event have created jobs for Ghanaians and have thus challenged actors in the tourism space to take advantage of the trade and business opportunities to accelerate economic growth and development since the event creates linkages between Ghanaians and the diaspora community.
“The December in GH is an event that brings people from all walks of life to explore Ghana and leads to a spirit of togetherness and called on Ghanaians to play a lead role”, he explained, pointing out that it is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs Office of the Presidency, Mr. Akwasi Awua Ababio in an interview urged Ghanaians in the tourism sector to make inputs in the upcoming event saying “it is an opportunity to project Ghana to the outside world of its rich cultural values adding that it leverages the country’s investment drive for the creation of jobs and employment.
He expressed his gratitude to the media for its extensive coverage of the previous events saying it is a collective effort to boost the economic growth of the country through tourism.
Key activities of the event includes African business opportunities forum, Africa legends night, Food festival expo, Light up the parade, Food bazzar, Kiddafest, Ghana diaspora all-star game, Countdown Africa 2023, African diaspora investment Conference, Fire on the runway international, Taste of Ghana, Ghana cinema week.
