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Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Visits Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
On her second day in Ghana, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, visited the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum. Her delegation, along with Samia Nkrumah, Chairperson of the CPP political party and daughter of Kwame Nkrumah, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority and Coordinator for Year of Return, took an early morning tour to pay respect to one of the greatest Pan-African leaders.
Mottley expressed how truly honoured she was that Samia Nkrumah had chosen to join them this morning on their tour. “All of my adult life, I know of the name and work of Kwame Nkrumah and he has been an inspiration for all who have believed that justice is possible,” she said after the tour. Together with her team, they toured the grounds and visited the museum and burial site of Kwame Nkrumah and his wife Fathia Nkrumah, who was buried near him.
Prime Minister Mottley expressed her idea that education and equity go hand in hand when it comes to affecting civilization and allowing us to be the best we can be. It was evident that her experience so far has been impactful on her. “That I have this opportunity not just to visit Ghana, but to come and pay homage and respects on behalf of Barbadian people…to the memory and legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkruman is a matter of great pride for me,” she said.
She is expected to participate in the Dumba Festival in Tamale later.
Photos: Remains of an unknown enslaved African from Barbados reburied at Assin Manso
Yesterday, the remains of an unknown enslaved African which was brought by the Prime Minister of Barbados was buried at the Assin Manso River Site, making it the third remains of enslaved Africans to be buried at the site.
The Prime Minister, who arrived on Thursday would be in the country for three days and would hold bilateral discussions with the President.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her business delegation will meet President Akufo Addo as well as tour Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The trip is to deepen ties between the two countries.
Prime Minister Mottley will also participate in the Damba Festival to be held in Yendi over the weekend.
Year Of Return: Barbados Prime Minister arrives on three-day visit to Ghana
Accra, Nov. 14, GNA – As part of the Year of Return and visit of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to Barbabos in June, Her Excellency Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados has arrived for a visit to Ghana.
The Prime Minister who arrived on Thursday would be in the country for three days and would hold bilateral discussions with the President.
She would also be in Assin Manso to witness a durbar of chiefs to be held in her honour at the forecourt of the Assin Manso Ancestral River Site.
Prime Minister Mottley shall also visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and participate in the Damba Festival to be held in Yendi over the weekend.
Remains of an unknown enslaved African she brought with her would be buried at the Assin Manso River Site, and this would be the third remains of enslaved Africans buried at the site.
The Prime Minister’s delegation also includes business leaders who are expected to meet their Ghanaian counterparts.
Mrs Barbara Oteng -Gyasi, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, welcomed the Prime Minister saying the nation’s tourism sector seeks to deepen its activities in the Carribean with Barbados as the gateway.
Mr Akwasi Agyeman, the Coordinator of the Year of Return and Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, said the visit highlighted the importance of the Year of Return in the global African discussion.
Source: GNA
What’s Happening This November In ‘Year of Return’?
With less than two months to wrap up the year, there are still so many anticipated events for the Year of Return. We are well into November and there are a few important events to note that are still coming up. The National Festival of Arts and Culture starts on 8th November and the program goes until 15th November. Taking place in Koforidua at Jubilee Park, there are several activities planned for the week-long event.
There will be several exhibitions celebrating the art and culture of all 16 regions of Ghana. The regional ministers and paramount chiefs of each region will also be in attendance so it promises to be a beautiful display of culture. The theme of the event is Empowering Youth Through Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts for Employment and Wealth Creation.
The Ministry of Tourism Art and Culture recognises how important it is to give a voice to the youth and to encourage them to engage in tourism, arts and cultural activities. This month there is also the Kids in Tourism Funfair from 28th – 30th November at Efua Sutherland Park. There will be several activities to engage young people and teach them the value of tourism.
The Acces Music in Africa Conference at the end of the month from 28th-30th November is an important pan-African event for the music industry. It gives a platform for key industry players to network, exchange ideas and even discover new and emerging talent. Every year this event is held in a different African city and this year, during the Year of Return, they have selected Accra as the host city.
For anyone interested in the creative arts and the music industry, this is a great place to come and meet local, regional and international professionals in the business. Several international speakers have been confirmed for the event including award-winning musician, producer and entrepreneur, Akon, CEO and Founder of Paradise Entertainment & Distribution, Ralph Boege from Germany and Executive Vice-President of Chocolate City Group, Aibee Abidoye from Nigeria.
There are also local industry players scheduled to speak including award-winning artist Sarkodie, award-winning singer-songwriter Efya, multi-award winning musician Ebo Taylor, hip-life music pioneer Obrafuor and more. For more details on attending this conference visit their website on www.musicinafrica.net.
How to Plan Your Trip to Afrochella Festival in Accra, Ghana
Afrochella, now in its third year, is a one-day festival in Accra, Ghana celebrating Africa’s diverse culture, from cuisine to contemporary art, as well as the vibrant work of African creatives and entrepreneurs. This year, it promises to be bigger than ever, with a jam-packed schedule of live music, exhibitions, and more. The programming aligns with the “Year of Return, Ghana 2019,” an initiative set forth by Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans to North America in 1619, and encourages those of African descent to make the journey back home.
The theme of this year’s Afrochella, which will take place on December 28 at the El Wak Stadium, is “Diaspora Calling,” and will highlight the process of various African cultures transcending across borders without losing their heritage, through events like the Afrochella Talks conversation seriesfeaturing panels discussions with the likes of artist Adjo Kisser and photographer Amarachi Nwosu. Last year, the festival had over 10,000 attendees and this year’s event will be the official closing for Ghana’s Year of Return.
Here’s what you need to know about the festival—and how to plan a trip to Ghana to experience Afrochella for yourself.
What to know before you go
If you are traveling to Ghana for the first time, check the travel entry requirements before booking flights, as everyone needs a yellow fever vaccination card to enter the country. U.S. citizens will also need a visa in advance: To apply, fill out an online application on the embassy site (there are both walk-in and mail options). It’s $60 for a single-entry visa, which takes seven to 10 business days to process, or there’s a rush option for $100 total, which you can get within three to five business days after mailing in your application. If you are not a U.S citizen, you should check prior to arrival if your country requires one.
Once you arrive in Accra, be sure to always carry cash as many vendors won’t accept credit cards due to extra fees. We suggest tapping Cherae Robinson, who founded TastemakersAfrica, a travel agency that connect travelers with in-the-know locals all around Africa, to help plan your itinerary. Book a personalized tour or day trip like the Year of Return Cape Coast Experience led by local guide Sebastian Johnson Tettey, and spend a day learning about Ghanian culture through activities including a tour of the Cape Coast castle, a drumming lesson, and a fireside dinner on the beach. Alternatively, turn to one of our travel specialists like Cherri Briggs of Explore Inc. to nail down all of the logistics, or contact Jessica Nabongo, founder of Jet Black and a member of Traveler‘s Women Who Travel advisory board, who can help plan a personalized trip as well.
Scenes from Afrochella
What to know about Afrochella
Abdul Karim Abdullah, Afrochella’s founder and CEO, sees the festival as a way to encourage people to look at Africa as more than just a vacation spot. “It’s a festival celebrating all things African culture and helping to promote awareness and bring business to the African community,” Abdullah says. “It’s a place where African people get to showcase their creativity to the world.”
Leading up to the festival, there will be kickoff events like the Afrochella Talks conversation series, which will be held at various locations throughout Accra. The series is dedicated to discussing the future of African business, the creative industries, music, and food with experts from all industries. If you’re looking to purchase tickets, there are a few options to choose from: general admission is priced at $35, but you can also upgrade to one of the Afrochella Experience packages, which comes with a VIP ticket to the festival, plus access to major events and tours like the Royalty Night New Years Gala and awards ceremony. The events will happen before and after the festival from December 26 through January 3, with prices ranging from $450 to $1800.
Neville Hall, a member of Fool’s Paradise travel group based in the U.S, attended Afrochella for the first time last year and recommends staying in a hotel if you’re a first timer. “I think the Airbnb scene is progressing but you just have to understand and respect that the standards are completely different,” says Hall. “As far as hotels are concerned, Ghana has beautiful luxury hotels.” Some of his favorites are the Movenpick and Villa Monticello.
What to do during Afrochella
Don’t miss the At a Glance photo exhibit by the Nigerian photographer Amarachi Nwosu, which showcases the transforming narratives on slavery and will take viewers on a journey through Cape Coast Castle, where thousands of slaves were held by western colonizers along the coast. While you’re there, be sure to check out the graffiti exhibit by Ghanian street artist Mohammed Awudu and live painting by artist Dennis Owusu-Ansah.
Musical performances, meanwhile, will start around 6 p.m. with seven crowd-sourced artists performing in a Rising Star Challenge. The headliner will go on around 11 p.m. The official festival line up will be released to the public later this month.
Accra’s Makola Market
What to do in Accra
Take a trip to the center of the city to visit Makola Market, a massive bazaar built in colonial times that’s considered the economic heart of Accra. There, you can shop and bargain for clothing, local produce, snacks from food stalls, and get custom-made clothing and jewelry.
When you’re ready to take a break, head over to the popular Labadi Beach, which is still within the city limits. There are dozens of bars and food stalls where you can dine on local favorites like fufu, spicy kebabs, and jollof rice. Kick back and watch the sunset until the beach turns into a huge nightlife hub filled with live bands and bonfires. The Afrochella team has also put together a list of recommendations, with nightlife options like Republic, The Soho Bar and Twist.
Cape Coast Castle, which once served as a holding cell for enslaved people
What to do beyond Accra
Along the Gold Coast of Ghana, approximately three hours away from Accra, you’ll find numerous ancient castles and forts. Among them is the well-known Cape Coast Castle, which is now a museum and historical site. It was a major hub for the development of the slave trade and served as a holding cell for enslaved people before they were shipped off to different countries, never to return home again. When visiting Ghana, it’s important to understand the history and suffering Ghanaians faced to truly appreciate how far the beautiful country has come—and with the help of festivals like Afrochella, many of Ghana’s descendants are finally returning home.
LET US MAKE OUR FRIENDLINESS MATCH OUR SERVICE DELIVERY
Just like every nation, Ghana’s greatest asset is its people. The country is regarded as one of the friendliest countries in the world. The former Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Taleb Rifai, after visiting Ghana noted, “there is nothing like the experience of being with wonderful, beautiful, warm and hospitable people of Ghana, if you haven’t visited Ghana yet then you don’t know what you are missing”.
It is satisfying to note that the tourism industry in Ghana continues to experience steady growth, despite the challenging conditions.
Through private investors, Ghana has experienced an upsurge of investments in tourism facilities such as Marine Drive, international hotel chains, local accommodation facilities, restaurants and transport services among others.
However, being recognised as the warmest people and investing in infrastructure is only one side of the equation to make Ghana the destination of choice.
The most important investment that would project us as the preferred destination is what we pay little attention to. This is the area of Quality Service Delivery. Quality service delivery continues to be the neglected factor in Ghana’s tourism and hospitality industry. Quality service must go with the employment of qualified personnel and or equipping them with relevant skills to meet and ‘wow’ customers in terms of their expectations.
Tourists who travel to Ghana receive the warmest welcome but are met with the poor services rendered by the hospitality agencies. Whilst we are selling destination Ghana as a place with interesting tourist sites, hospitable people, good food and music, we must be able to also sell it as a place with best service providers.
It is a plus for us as a country to be rated as the warmest destination, but let’s not forget that once the service provided is not to the satisfaction of the visitor, they tend to concentrate more on the poor service rendered than the good reception they received.
In marketing, it is often said that ‘if a customer is satisfied, he introduces ten more customers to a product or service’, on the other hand, ‘if a customer is dissatisfied he takes five customers away from the product or service’.
Tourists all over the world including domestic ones are discerning. The industry therefore thrives on quality service as these attract repeat visits which generate positive referrals and endorsements. Quality services also serves as a marketing tool that creates positive impression to visitors, thereby ultimately reflecting our image of being a “Uniquely Welcoming” destination.
As a tourism destination, there is the need to improve on the service delivery, that is the smiles, welcoming guest as they arrive, looking sharp and serving them on time as well as providing them with the basic needs they request for on arrival.
To achieve our aim as a tourism destination in West Africa and the World as a whole, our tourist sites should be well managed. We must protect and build on our natural and man-made resources and again maintain our friendliness to be in harmony with the service delivery.
The Ghana Tourism Authority must be commended for their recent initiative which was in partnership with the Ghana Tourism Federation to train, educate and sensitize the for informal catering sector, with the objective to improve the quality of service delivery within the informal catering sector and also to equip operators with requisite skills in order to render professional catering services.
We must work for God and the country
Darling Asieduwaa Ntiamoah
Ghana Tourism Authority.
Year Of Return, Ghana 2019 Brings Thousands To Africa
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There are several slave castles, or, slave dungeons along the western coast of African, including Cape Coast Castle. People of African descent have been visiting these sites as part of the Year Of Return, Ghana 2019 initiative. PETR KOSINA / CREATIVE COMMONS
Four hundred years ago, in 1619, the first enslaved African people came to what would become the United States. As we mark that anniversary, there are many projects underway to bring a fuller understanding of the devastation caused by the institution of slavery and how this institution continues to shape the United States today.
To commemorate this 400-year mark, Western African country of Ghana has declared 2019 “The Year of Return,” and the country is inviting people who are descendants of Africans who were enslaved to return to the land of their ancestors, and connect with others who have felt the impact of the African diaspora.
In this episode of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with Kesho Scott, Professor of Sociology and American Studies at Grinnell College, who took her daughter on the trip of a lifetime as part of “The Year of Return, Ghana 2019.”
“I am a decedent of a slave, that means that I am a descendant of someone who survived an atrocity,” Scott says. “I cannot think of myself, and I would hope no young person of African descendent would think of themselves as anything less because of this particular history.”
Guests Include:
- Kesho Scott, Professor of Sociology and American Studies at Grinnell College
Photos: Year Of Return Kumasi Carnival Held
Over the weekend the maiden Global African Diaspora Kumasi Carnival 2019 was held in Kumasi. There was so much energy and the connection between the Caribbean Diaspora and local Ghanaians was strong. Powerful words were spoken by many about staying connected.
Supporting the event was Miss Trinidad & Tobago UK who said for her “Ghana feels like home”.
This is the first, and organisers hope to continue it as an annual event and celebration that attracts travellers every year.
A group from Suriname was there and made some strong statements about coming back home to Ghana and wanting to be embraced by Ghana.
Just before the procession began, the Suriname group wanted to express themselves.
It carnival procession ended with Street Fair and a variety show in the evening.
Tourism Ministry engages stakeholders on Arts Fund
The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture, has begun discussions with industry players, including the Exim Bank, on the management of a GH¢10 million Creative Arts Fund.
To give legal backing to the fund, a draft bill, put together by the ministry with recommendations by the Attorney- General, had already been submitted to Cabinet for approval.
The sector minister, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, said this at a Ghana Creative Arts Industry forum in Accra last Thursday, on the theme: “Reviving Ghana’s creative arts industry”.
The participants also discussed ways to chart a new path to make the sector more vibrant.
Assessment
The minister expressed the hope that upon assessment by Cabinet, the bill would be forwarded to Parliament for approval within the first quarter of 2020.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said once the bill was passed, it would pave the way for a functioning body to manage the fund for the intended purpose of accelerating the growth of the industry in the country.
She explained that it was to prepare the grounds for a legal status for the fund that an Interim Creative Arts Council was set up to harmonise the various associations in the sector and also support in the preparation of the bill.
“After the passage of this bill, the council will have a full functioning body with management on board to commence comprehensive operations,” Mrs Oteng-Gyasi added.
According to the minister, funding remained a critical challenge in the industry and it was to address that difficulty that the government, with the support of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, established the fund to provide support for the development of the sector.
“Funding in the creative arts industry has been a critical challenge and due to that most creative ideas are not able to materialise.
We have created this fund to invest in the industry and support all creative ideas to ensure that they become a reality,” Mrs Oteng-Gyasi added.
The setting up of the fund was announced in the 2018 Budget presentation to Parliament on November 15, 2017, by the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, as part of the government’s effort to make the industry more vibrant.
“The government will continue its initiatives to improve the creative arts sector with the establishment of a fully functional Creative Arts Secretariat and the commencement of feasibility studies to set up a Creative Arts Fund,” he said.
Insurance
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said the ministry was also in consultation with other stakeholders such as the National Commission on Culture on the establishment of an insurance scheme for members of the creative arts industry, and that when they reached a concensus, a national data of members would be collected for the initiative to take off.
Visitors
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr Kwasi Agyeman, said there was a 26 per cent increase in the number of visitors to the country this year, adding that “most of the visitors came because of our music shows and movie premiers”.
He said the tourism sector was key to the development of the country and, therefore, urged industry players to ensure quality output and also unite to promote their agenda.
“You need to organise yourselves to have one voice and fight for a common cause. When that happens, we the authorities will take you seriously. You also need to have a very good brand and get a good management team to ensure proper business deals for you,” Mr Agyeman added.
Source: Graphic online
Sarkodie named as Ambassador for the ‘Year of Return’
Sarkodie made history earlier this month when he was the first to be awarded in the category of Best International Flow at the BET Hip Hop Awards. In his acceptance speech, he mentioned that this year is the ‘year of return’ and he encouraged the audience to choose Ghana as a destination if they are coming to Africa.
On 30th October 2019, at the Creative Arts Industry Forum at the National Theatre, Sarkodie was named an Ambassador for the ‘Year of Return’ and was given the honour by Barbara Oteng Gyasi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. He also received a citation for all his achievements in the music industry and his great contribution to Ghana’s creative arts.
Sarkodie exemplifies what it means to stay true to your culture and share it with the world. Throughout his career, he has heard people suggest he limit the use of local language in order to crossover in the international market. In sticking to his vision, he not only exposed the world to one of Ghana’s languages through his music, but he also proved that a Ghanaian can be successful on a global level while holding onto their language and culture.
The Year of Return marks 400 years since the first documented ship of enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia, USA on August 20, 1619. Ghana is commemorating the year and celebrating the resilience of people of African descent. In doing so, the initiative encourages people of African descent to visit Ghana and explore the history, heritage and culture.
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