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3rd Ghana Arts and Culture Awards Set for November, 2021
All is set for the 3rd edition of the Ghana Arts and Culture Awards happening on 20th November 2021 at Alisa Hotel, North Ridge. The aim of the event is to reward excellence within the arts and culture industry and also promote tourism in the Country.
The event has recognized the works of individuals who are projecting the Ghanaian Arts and Culture. Wiyaala was awarded the Ghanaian Artiste of the year in 2019, Former Mayor of Accra Mohammed Adjei Sowah for promoting the Arts industry, Agya Koo Nimo also received a lifetime achievement award in 2020 for his great contribution towards the arts , Ghana Tourism Authority also received Cooperate support for Arts and Culture in 2019, Ssue has also won the Artiste of the year in 2020, Azmera Restaurant indigenous caterer of the year in 2019 and many others.
The event is in-partnership with the National Commission on Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority, National Folklore Board, Tourism Society of Ghana and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. The event is also proudly sponsored by Alisa Hotel, Verna Natural Mineral Water, Mcberry Biscuit , Planet Drinks and Ceejay Multimedia. The event will start exactly 6pm and its strictly by invitation.
By: Atta Kakra Kusi
2021 ‘December In Gh’ Schedule of Events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ACCRA, GHANA – November, 3, 2021 – Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Beyond the Return Secretariat officially announce the highly anticipated schedule of endorsed events for December in GH (December in Ghana).
The official calendar includes activities for the month of November 2021 through early January 2022. Some of the most highly anticipated events are back this season including Afrochella (December 28), A Taste of Ghana (December 27), Polo Beach Club (December 26-January 2), Little Havana (December 26), and GUBA Cruise (January 2). “We’re excited to share all the events happening in Ghana for the holiday season,” said Ms. Annabelle McKenzie, Director of the Beyond the Return Secretariat.
The Events
Click to Download/View December In Gh Events
This year’s activities also includes programs happening in other regions that will give travellers to Ghana an opportunity to explore other parts of the country and partake in the various cultures. “We’ve endorsed events happening in other regions including the Volta Region, Upper East, Western, and Bono East.” Ms. McKenzie said. “It’s wonderful being able to engage with Ghanaian communities outside of Greater Accra.” Events outside of the capital city include The Volta Fair (Volta Region), Bolgatanga International Arts & Crafts Fair (Upper East), The Feok Festival (Upper East), Samanpiid Festival (North East) and Kids in Tourism (Ashanti, Bono, Bono East & Central).
As Ghana continues to be the destination of choice in West Africa during the holiday season, it’s anticipated that thousands of travellers will be arriving in the country throughout the coming weeks. With the Covid-19 pandemic still a concern, the Ghana Tourism Authority will work with the security agencies to ensure that event organisers comply with protocols set in place by the National Covid-19 Task Force and the Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare. “Guests will be required to present Covid-19 vaccination cards prior to entering all the events that are going to be endorsed,” explained Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority. Face masks would also be mandatory for all guests from age five and above with temperature checks taken upon entry and sanitizing stations throught event venues. Although the event schedule has been released, event organizers interested in having their programs included as part of the official calendar can still submit their proposals to the Beyond the Return Secretariat via email at support@beyondthereturngh.com.
Beyond the Return is a 10-year initiative and a follow up to the successful Year of Return in 2019 that attracted thousands of visitors to Ghana. The theme for the initiative is ‘A Decade of African Renaissance’ and its foundation has seven pillars that touch on the areas Ghana is working towards in strengthening relations with its diaspora community. Each of the events have their own unique traits that will align with the pillars which are; Experience Ghana, Celebrate Ghana, Give Back Ghana, Brand Ghana, Promote Pan-African Heritage and Innovation, Invest in Ghana and Diaspora Pathways to Ghana.
For more information contact the office by email on support@beyondthereturn.com. Alternatively you can make contact via Whatsapp on +233 24 040 2408. Visit the website for updated information on activities at www.beyondthereturngh.com
Beyond The Return Announces ‘December In GH’
ACCRA TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
25TH OCTOBER, 2021
Beyond the Return has officially announced “December in GH’ activities this year. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Accra Tourism Information Centre on Monday 25th October. The Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, member for Beyond the Return Steering Committee, Mr. Kwame Acheampong Boateng Esq., and Deputy CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Technical and Operations, Mr. Ekow Sampson were present.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has approved that the events could go on provided they adhere to the strict covid-19 protocols outlined in collaboration with the National Covid-19 Task Force and the Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare.
Events like Afrochella is one of the highly anticipated events that has already been approved with their date announced for 28th December. Other events coming include Polo Beach Club, Rhythms on da Runway, GUBA Awards, Taste of Ghana, Kwanzaa in Ghana, Diaspora Transition, and Ahaspora Conference will soon be announcing their dates. The Beyond the Return Secretariat is still engaging with event organizers and some events have already been confirmed but committed to adhering to the required protocols. Contactless ticketing is being encouraged as much as possible where tickets can be scanned on mobile devices. By 1st November the full list and calendar of events will be placed on BTR websites.
Guests at the events will be required to present covid-19 vaccination cards before entering all the events that are going to be endorsed and guests ages five and upwards will be required to wear face masks. Temperature checks would be completed before entering all events and entry sanitizer systems will be used along with hand sanitizer stations located throughout the event venues.
The covid-19 pandemic affected tourism on a global scale, the sector has had to find ways to recover from the challenges experienced. According to Dr. Awal, Ghana’s tourism sector suffered losses of eight billion cedis last year. Ghana is expecting about 150,000 foreign arrivals between now and December. The World Bank’s 13 million cedis has already been disbursed to support the tourism sector.
We are launching ‘Destination Ghana’ in the USA and the aim is to increase tourism. It will be launched in Los Angeles and New York. “We want to make Ghana a world tourism destination.”
About December In GH
Ghana has over the year’s gradually become the preferred destination for many from across the world seeking alternatives to snowy Christmas and New Year celebration. The country has seen a rising number of people visiting during the Yuletide with their family and friends to #ExperienceGhana and #ShareGhana. The past years have also seen many Hollywood Stars including Naomi Campbell, Boris Coudjo, Hisham Tawfiq, Lupita Nyong’o, Samuel L. Jackson, T.I., Cardi B and many more visit during the Year of Return.
The Ghana Tourism Authority partners several event organiser to host many events to provide several option for everyone through November to January dubbed “December In GH”. Some of the major events include Afrochella and Afro Nation.
Riali Consult, White Sands, La Villa Boutique emerge Winners at International Travel Awards
Ghanaian travel and tour operator, Riali Consult has won the ‘Best Travel Company in Ghana 2021’ at this year’s International Travel Awards.
In a message announcing Riali as winner, organisers said, “We are happy to inform you that Riali Consult Limited has shown itself as a brilliant representative of the excellent services in the global tourism industry, and after a thorough jury evaluation, we are pleased and excited to announce Riali Consult Limited as a winner of International Travel Awards as Best Travel Company in Ghana 2021.
CEO of Riali Consult, Mrs. Alisa Osei-Asamoah said the award inspires the company to go higher in bringing memorable travel adventures to their patrons. “We are encouraged by this award to offer more competitive travel and tour services to our clients. At Riali Consult we are very firm about delivering excellent and top notch services and this award gives credence to what we have been doing all these years,” she said.
A very delighted and thankful Mrs. Osei-Asamoah added that “we could not have achieved this without the magnanimous support of all those who voted for us and the organisers who nominated us in the first place. I’d also like to express my profound appreciation to the super amazing and exceptional team at Riali Consult who work round the clock to ensure client satisfaction always. This recognition is truly humbling for us all.”
Other Ghanaian businesses that were adjudged winners in the International Travel Awards include;
- La Villa Boutique Hotel – Best Boutique Hotel In Ghana
- White Sands Beach Resort – Best Beach Resort In Ghana
- Diamond Travel Consultancy – Best Emerging Travel Company In Ghana
- Discover Africa Destinations Tourism and Trading LLC – Best inbound Tour Operator in Ghana 2021
About Riali Consult
Riali Consult has been in operation since 2004. It is an inbound tour operator focusing on markets in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. It also organises tours all across Ghana and has been at the fore of promoting domestic tourism.
The company covers all aspects of travel arrangements for both leisure, business and special interest tours destinations for varying markets. As a Travelife partner, sustainability is a key practice in its operations.
About International Travel Awards
The travel and tour company focuses on providing quality hospitality and efficient services which are delivered with professionalism for both domestic and international visitors.
Organised and presented by Golden Tree Event Tourism Marketing, International Travel award is crafted to honor the excellent performers in the tourism and travel industry around the world. The participants are from Tourism boards, travel companies, hotels, villas, apartments, attractions, theme parks and tourism individuals.
Ghana’s Tourist Arrivals To Grow By 47% In 2021 – Fitch Solutions
Tourist arrivals into Ghana is expected to grow by 47% this year, following easing of Covid-19 restrictions, a report by Fitch Solutions, has revealed.
This is coming from a contraction of 65% in 2020, due to effects of Covid-19 which triggered restrictions in some sectors of the economy.
“Ghana’s tourism sector has been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions. In 2021, we forecast tourist arrivals to grow by 47.0% year-on-year”, the report stated.
The Ghanaian economy grew by a paltry 0.4% because many sub sectors including the hospitality registered negative growth rates. This is because economic activity came to a standstill or fell drastically last year.
But a further easing of the lockdown by the government and an improve condition globally due to vaccinations of majority of the populace has sparked tourist arrivals in the country.
According to Fitch Solutions, the rollout of vaccines and the easing of restrictions for inbound tourists is key for the recovery of the country’s tourism sector.
“We project the growth in tourist arrivals to remain positive in 2022, expanding by 28.4% year-on-year. The positive growth in tourist arrivals in 2021 and 2022 bodes well for hospitality businesses such as restaurants and hotels and recreation and culture establishments.”
Further, the research arm of ratings agency, Fitch, said the positive growth in tourist arrivals in 2021 and next year will improve the wage and employment prospects of people employed in this sector.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the Hotel and Restaurants sub sector was the third fastest growing in the second quarter of this year.
Ghana’s tourism sector has been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions. In 2021, we forecast tourist arrivals to grow by 47.0% y-o-y. However, this growth is from a low base following an estimated 65.4% y-o-y contraction in tourist arrivals in 2020. We believe that the rollout of vaccines and the easing of restrictions for inbound tourists is key for the recovery of the country’s tourism sector. We project the growth in tourist arrivals to remain positive in 2022, expanding by 28.4% y-o-y. The positive growth in tourist arrivals in 2021 and 2022 bodes well for hospitality businesses such as restaurants and hotels and recreation and culture establishments. This will improve the wage and employment prospects of people employed in this sector.
About Fitch
Ashanti Region’s Sarfoa crowned winner of GMB 2021
The Ghana’s Most Beautiful crown is heading back to the Ashanti Region, the region of royalty, after its representative in this year’s edition, Sarfoa, was crowned winner on Sunday.
Born Benedicta Asamoah, Sarfoa beat competition from five others to win the GH¢10,000 cash, the brand new 4X4 car from MG Auto Ghana Limited and the crown.
Volta Region’s Setor came second while Western Region’s Manu was third.
Fourth was Upper East Region’s Wedaga with Oti Region’s Akosua and Bono Region’s Mfodwo coming fifth and sixth respectively.
It was a night of keen competition at the National Theatre, the venue of attraction, as the six finalists slugged it out with breathtaking performances in the first round.
Manu, representing the West, from Asankragwa to be precise, started it all with her performance that aroused security awareness.
All the first round performances were couched around the respective projects to be pursued by the finalists.
The second round had the ladies come in pairs to answer set questions posed by the two MCs – Cookie Tee and Anita Akuffo.
Incidentally, Sarfoa and Setor appeared first, Wedaga and Mfodwo came next and Manu and Akosua followed.
While Setor answered a question on government’s Agenda 111, Sarfoa’s intelligence was picked on the effects of by the Ghana Education Service’s ban of corporal punishment meted out to students.
While Mfodwo also gave her thoughts on women empowerment, her stage partner Wedaga shared hers on marriage.
Manu answered a question on agriculture while Akosua’s opnion was picked on the boosting of tourism in the Covid era.
But at the end of the night, the crown had to go to one person, as succinctly stated by last year’s winner Naa Dedei Botchwey.
And to the Ashanti Region it went. Safe for Sarfoa!
Aside the car, cash and crown, she will embark on an all-expense paid trip to Dubai and be a beneficiary of a one-year supply of GTP fabric.
Setor walks home with GH¢8,000 for coming second while Manu gets GH¢5,000 for coming third.
Wedaga receives GH¢3,000 while Akosua and Mfodwo get GH¢2,000 and GH¢1,000 respectively.
Source: 3news.com
Government partners Du Bois Foundation to transform Du Bois Centre into museum complex
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the African Diaspora to follow in the footsteps of W. E Dubois by making Africa their home and contributing to the development of the continent.
The President made these remarks, on Monday, 20th September 2021, at the signing of a historic partnership arrangement between the Du Bois Museum Foundation Ghana, an affiliate of the W. E B Dubois Foundation New York, and the Government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The partnership, which was initiated by the President in 2019 as part of his trip to promote “The Year of Return”, will see to the transformation of the current Du Bois Memorial Centre and burial site in Accra, into a state-of-the-art museum complex and world-class destination for scholars and heritage tourists.
Dr. Du Bois, a civil rights pioneer and one of the world’s leading black intellectuals and thinkers, became a citizen of Ghana and resided in the country until his death in 1963.
The Partnership will see the Du Bois Museum Foundation Ghana, leading the construction of a multi-million-dollar Museum Complex to preserve Dr. Du Bois’ legacy, over a 50-year period.
The Du Bois Museum Complex aims to transform the Centre and create a living museum that revives the transformative spirit and vision of Dr. Du Bois for a unified ancestral home for Africans in the diaspora around the world.
Upon completion, the complex will serve as a historic memorial site, where visitors can honour his life and legacy, connect to their cultural and ancestral roots, and serve as an impetus to inspire solidarity between people of African descent.
At the signing ceremony in New York, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the significance of the agreement in strengthening historical, cultural, and economic ties between Ghana and the United States, and Africans in the Diaspora.
This Agreement will build on the Government’s “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” campaigns that encourage the return of the African Diaspora from around the world.
“The Du Bois Museum Complex will usher in a renewed commitment to building an international treasure and historic memorial honouring the legacy of Dr. Du Bois, and fostering unity among the African Diaspora through a vibrant cultural and research centre,” said Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director, W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation. Aryiku, a Ghanaian American with more than 40 years of experience in corporate America and the philanthropic community, was inspired at a young age by Du Bois’ writings and ideals.
The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, signed on behalf of Government, and paid tribute to the inspirational leadership of the President in positioning Ghana as the Mecca of the African diaspora.
Other speakers at the ceremony included Kwame Anthony Appiah, novelist and professor of philosophy and ethics, New York University and board member, W.E.B Du Bois Museum Foundation; and Daniel Rose, Chairman, W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, philanthropist, and leading real estate developer of several award-winning properties.
Guests included the Minister of Finance of Ghana, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, Hon. Shirley Aryorkor Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; H. E Hajia Alima Mahama, Ghana’s Ambassador to the USA; Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority; and Humphrey Ayim-Darke of the Dubios Museum Foundation, Ghana.
GTA Trains Tourism Plant Inspectors
Accra, September 13, 2021
The Ghana Tourism Authority has commenced a 5- day training programme for 65 Tourism Facility Inspectors from across the country at the Accra Tourist Information Centre (ATIC)
The training programme which falls under the tourism component of government’s ‘Ghana Cares (Obaatanpa)’ initiative is to sharpen the skills of staff in the areas of safety and security, industry best practices, inspection process, report writing, COVID- 19 protocols among others.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of GTA, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman said the training programme has become necessary because the inspectors need new skills and knowledge in their line of duties to ensure that quality standards and safety protocols are adhered to in the hospitality industry.
Mr. Agyeman said skilled professionals have been drawn from various fields including the Ghana Health Service, COTVET, law enforcement etc. to help enhance the skills of staff to enable the carry out their duties more effectively and efficiently.
He added that, the tourism training component of the Obaatampa initiative includes product knowledge, customer service, digital marketing, sales and basic language skills in French and will run for 18 months. “It will help train 10,000 operators in the tourism value chain as well”, he added.
Inspectors will be sent out to the field not long after the training program to begin work.
By: Public Affairs/GTA
Press Release – GTA Accra City Tour Coach Begins Operations
AUGUST 22, 2021, ACCRA
GTA ACCRA CITY TOUR COACH BEGINS OPERATIONS
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) is collaborating with the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) to package City Tours using the Double Decker City Tour Coach for the general public. The tour begins every day from the Accra Tourist Information Centre (ATIC) through the approved routes and back.
The Double Decker Coach, aka (Aunty Deede) which was out-doored during the launch of the Domestic and Regional Tourism Campaign to promote domestic tourism, is opened to the general public from Monday to Sunday at 9am – 11am and 1pm – 3pm at the following rates:
- Adult – GH¢ 60.00
- SHS/Tertiary – GH¢ 30.00
- Basic students – GH¢ 20.00
- Hiring – GH¢ 3000.00 every two hours on the approved routes.
payments can be made through GTA Merchant Number: 607442
This is part of the numerous initiatives such as See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana, Stay home know Ghana, Ghana Gurus E-Learning platform, Stay Home Discover Ghana and Travel, See, Snap and Win Campaigns that has been put together by the Ghana Tourism Authority to promote domestic tourism, through culture and creative arts.
A promotional tour was organised with media practitioners and other tourism stakeholders to map out routes for the bus, create awareness and encourage Ghanaian to #ExperienceGhana and #ShareGhana.
The Accra City Tour will expose both Ghanaians and Internationals to historical and cultural sites as well as iconic structures and places within the Metropolis, and subsequently extended to the Regional Capitals of the country accordingly.
For further information and booking, please contact the following: 0307007100/ 02415777757/ 0243146864.
N.B: kindly indicate what you are paying for when you book.
Thank you.
BY CORPORATE AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, GHANA TOURISM AUTHORITY.
Domestic Travel, A Key To Ghana’s Tourism Revival – Alisa Asamoah
The current Coronavirus pandemic has necessitated the need for us to focus our attention to the domestic market for Ghana’s tourism growth.
Like most countries around the world, Ghana’s tourism received a heavy battering following the onset of the pandemic. Just when the sector was set to see a turnaround with the highly successful ‘Year of Return,’ the advent of Coronavirus which in most cases, halted travel across countries and continents, unfortunately, rolled back the numbers and receipts.
Since then it has become necessary for government to introduce measures to cushion operators and industry players who have been at the receiving end of the harsh realities of the pandemic on the tourism sector. In addition, government has had to find ways of ensuring continuity of Ghana’s tourism industry which has ultimately shifted attention to domestic tourism. Leading the charge in this regard, is the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) which has found several innovative and creative ways of selling Ghana to its citizens to promote and increase local travels to the many tourist attractions spread across the country.
The latest and current initiative, #ExperienceGhana #ShareGhana is a rallying call on all citizens to see the beautiful land of warmth, culture and rhythm. The acquisition of the double-decker coach for city tours is already adding to the enthusiasm that has so far characterized the launch of the new campaign.
For us as the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), we feel proud to be lending our support to the implementation of such noble initiatives. As a body whose overall mandate is to take people to experience and enjoy our attractions, we believe that we shoulder a sizable amount of the responsibility as far as the realization of the greater goal of driving at least one million Ghanaians yearly to tourist sites as espoused by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal is concerned.
It is not lost on us what the repercussion of the attainment of this ambitious target could be to the socio-economic growth of the country. And that is why we continue to wholeheartedly embrace and partner stakeholders in rolling out programmes that inure to the benefit of the domestic tourism agenda.
Since November last year, TOUGHA has embarked on tours to the Ashanti, Eastern and Central regions to update themselves of the current state of tourist sites in these areas. In doing so, the Union has also got to know less-known yet exciting sites that could be incorporated in our tour packages.
We are resolved to continue organizing these tours until we explore all 16 regions of Ghana. Beyond this, we feel particularly happy to be engaging the Ministry, GTA and other relevant agencies to put together tour packages at reduced and competitive rates for all and sundry.
We urge all sister tourism trade associations to follow in our example and come up with initiatives to drive and deepen domestic tourism. We are of the firm belief that domestic tourism is the cornerstone to building the resilience that the tourism industry has always been known for and we will continue to play our part in ensuring that Ghana becomes a preferred destination for her citizens and visitors across the world.
By: Alisa Osei-Asamoah
President, Tour Operators Union of Ghana
Call Center: 0307007100