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GTA Embarks On Nationwide Tourism Regulations Enforcement Exercise
ACCRA, 20TH DECEMBER, 2021.
PRESS RELEASE
The Ghana Tourism Authority wishes to inform the general public and patrons of all Tourism Enterprises that it has embarked on a nationwide enforcement exercise Today, Monday, 20th December, 2021 to clamp down on all illegal tourism enterprises.This is to ensure compliance of standards in all the Tourism Enterprises.
The Ghana Tourism Authority is mandated by law under the Tourism Act, 2011 (Act 817) to register and licence all tourism enterprisesby way of registration, inspection, classification and licensing. The facilities include but not limited to the following: Accommodation (i.e. Hotels, Guest Houses, Serviced Apartments, Hostels, Home Lodges) Food, Beverage & Entertainment (i.e. Restaurants, Fast Food Joints, Traditional Catering Establishments (Chop Bars), Drinking Bars, Movie Houses, Event Centres, Entertainment Centres, Pubs, Night Clubs) Travel Trade (i.e.Tour Companies, Car Rental Companies, Travel Services, Car Hires, etc)
All operators must regularise their operations as soon as practicable. Operators of unlicensed establishment who fail to regularise their operations shall be sanctioned which includes closure of establishment and payment of administrative charge.
The Authority also wishes to advise the general public to look out for displayed operating licence of any tourism facility before patronage.
Tourism Enterprises are therefore advised to contact any GTA Regional Office or the Head Office on 0302682601 and on email: corporateaffairs@visitghana.com or gtaqad@ghana.travel .
Thank you.
16th National Tourism Awards (Honorary Edition) Slated For Saturday December 11
The Ghana Tourism Authority, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will organise the 2020 National Tourism Awards on Saturday 11th December, 2021 at ‘The Dome’, Accra International Conference Centre (AICC)
The awards ceremony, which is an honorary and the 16th edition is under the theme ‘STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS FOR INCLUSIVE TOURISM GROWTH’ and would stream LIVE on Facebook.
The awards is to reward impactful contribution to the tourism sector, encourage stronger rebound of tourism in Ghana and to build relationship amongst the Authority and its stakeholders who have distinguished themselves to advance the course of the industry especially in these challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A total of 18 honorary awards would be presented to deserving tourism establishments and personalities. These include;
- Supporting Traditional Ruler
- Outstanding Corporate Stakeholder of The Year
- Most Active Tourism Trade Association of The Year
- Outstanding Personality in the Fight Against Covid-19
- Tourism Oriented Media Personality among others.
A five-member national jury was tasked to review all nominations to select the best awardee for each award category.
Among the dignitaries to grace the occasion are the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Akwamumanhene, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, the diplomatic community, heads of Institutions and tourism industry practitioners. The Chairperson of the Public Services Commission, Mrs. Janet Fofie will be the Special Guest of Honour.
The National Tourism Awards was instituted in 1997 by the Ghana Tourism Authority to reward excellence in the tourism industry and promote a healthy competition among industry practitioners.
The 2020 National Tourism Awards is sponsored by; Special Ice, GIHOC Distilleries, Ethiopian Airlines, PAPAYE, Ankobra Beach Resort, Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel.
Ghana To Host 2021 Kusi Ideas Festival
ACCRA, DECEMBER 3, 2021
PRESS RELEASE – GHANA TO HOST KUSI IDEAS FESTIVAL
The Ghana Tourism Authority, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Nations Media Group are organising the 3rd edition of the Kusi Ideas Festival from Monday December 10 – Tuesday December 11, 2021 at the Accra International Conference Centre, AICC.
This year’s conference, which will be a hybrid and-in-person event is under the theme; ‘HOW AFRICA TRANSFORMS AFTER THE VIRUS’, and subthemed; ‘BEYOND THE RETURN: AFRICAN DIASPORA AND NEW POSSIBILITIES.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, said the Kusi Ideas Festival has come at the right time to cement Ghana’s reputation as a leading business tourism destination. “We have embarked on a journey to attract meetings, conferences and events into Ghana and this partnership with NMG is in the right direction “
This year’s Kusi Ideas Festival will be opened by the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nàna Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Other Presidents billed to speak are President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. Several business and political leaders across Africa are billed to attend .
Other sub themes are;
• Taking forward the lessons learnt from leading during the pandemic
• Technology, innovation and creating the most African wins
• Opening borders and building back tourism among others.
Kusi Ideas Festival was started three years ago by the Nation Media Group as a Pan-African platform to examine the African continents place in the world.
Feature – Come Take A Tour With The Professional Guides – Part One
One of the most indispensable and invaluable links in the Tourism value chain is the Tour Guide.
The Tour Guide is the only person who comes into direct contact with all the other players within the Tourism and hospitality sector. It is the duty of the Tour Guide to meet and welcome the tourists at the port. Both air and sea, and sometimes, at the land borders. He works with the Tour Operator to build a good and acceptable tour package. The Tour Guide dialogues with hoteliers and advise them on his clients’ best choices and tastes. He deals with the restaurateurs.
The Tour Guide does not only spend his or her life in the cozy environs of the city but equally travels with tourists who have a taste for adventure and curiosity to the remotest parts of the country and introduces them to the local communities.
In short, the Tour Guide is an all-round frontrunner. Without the services of the professionally trained Tour Guide, there would be a very wide yawning gap within the industry. The Tour Guide acts as the Eyes and Ears by which the tourists sees and hears. The better his eye sight and the sharper his ears, the better the experience for the tourist.
Lastly and most importantly, the Tour Guide is the confidant for the tourist. At the end of it all, the tourist pours his heart out into the ears of the Tour Guide. The negatives as well as the positives. What needed to be fine-tuned and the expectations for the next tour. A good Tour Guide makes a tourist want to come back again, and again and again.
One of the secrets of a great Tour Guide is his ability to know the tourist routes well. And that is why when a Tour Guide is not busy with tourists, he is busy with familiarization tours. Or Fam-Tours for short.
A familiarization tour as the name implies is one that makes a Tour Guide to get himself or herself familiar with a chosen route. It is a kind of trip that witnesses Tour Guides taking turns to guide; to educate their peers on a coach. The coach then becomes a moving classroom for Guides.
About a week ago, the Tour Guides Association of Ghana, led by their Chairman Mr Samuel Banibensu (Sam Bans) embarked on a two day famtour to parts of the Volta region. The tour took them to Kwame Akoto’s spiritual art studio.
Kwame Akoto Bamfo is a sculptor, lecturer and consultant. His project is a means of commemorating the millions of people from Africa who were imprisoned, kidnapped or coerced into slavery. The site of his installation is poignant for Nuhalenya Ada was a stopping point on the slave trade route in the 16th and 17th centuries first for the Dutch and then for British traders. The majority of the slaves transported were Senegambians; what is today Senegal and Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Mali, followed by people of the Gold Coast, the neighbouring winward coast, now Ivory Coast and others from the Bight of Benin which is today’s Eastern Nigeria and Cameroon.
Akoto Bamfo first started making his sculptured human heads in 2010 and begun to install them in the field near his studio in 2018 nearly 400 years after the first slave ship landed at point Comfort in Virginia. The design for each head comes from his own imagination. The aim is to eventually create 11,111 heads.
The next stop point for the Tour Guides was the Vume Pottery Township.
The people of Vume migrated from Denkyira in 1701 because of wars with the Ashanti and it is said that they brought pottery techniques with them. This would mean that traditional pottery of Vume begun over 300 years ago. In fact, the art of pottery is as old as man and has been an important part of human culture for thousands of years. Archaeological sites have revealed various pottery works used by ancient civilizations. What I want to refer to as contemporary pottery however started when the British potter, Michael Cardrew came to Vume in the mid-1940s. He brought with him potter’s wheels, kilns and glaces which were previously not used in Vume. Vume has rich clay reserves.
Another point of interest that attracted the Tour Guides on their Fam-Tour was Atorkor. Atorkor is a small village in Anlo district. It is sandwiched between the sea and the lagoon and have some of the warmest people. The main economic activity today is fishing. The spot brought in Akan speaking traders who transacted business with the natives. Due to the swarm of mosquitoes, the traders demanded in Akan language; “metor mekor ntem” meaning, let me buy and leave quickly. This Akan saying had changed the original name of Adelako korpe or Adelako’s village to Atorkor. A corrupted version of “metor mekor ntem”. Atorkor, like other places in West Africa was also associated with the slave trade.
The icing on the cake for this Fam-Tour was the audience with the Anlo chiefs and elders. Our host chief was Torgbui Tudoabor. The Tour Guides were warmly welcome to his palace amidst drumming and dancing of ‘adzogbo’ dance. We were treated to a narration of the Anlo history and later taken round some of the touristic sites. It was a wonderful experience.
Two other prominent sites visted by the Guides in Anlo were the Fort Prinsenztine and the Cape St Paul lighthouse.
Fort Prinsenztine was initially built by Danish traders in 1784 for defensive purposes in a war against the Anlo Ewe – Sagbadre war and to keep the area safe from other colonial powers. It was later used as a dungeon for slaves awaiting transportation to the Carribean. The fort was also used as prison for a period before it was partially destroyed by the sea in 1980.
Cape St Paul lighthouse was built in 1901. It is the only one of two of these types of lighthouses in the world and is believed to be the oldest lighthouse in the country. The only other kind of this lighthouse found in the United States is the Alpena lighthouse built in 1904.
After traveling for hours and stopping over at places of interest, the Tour Guides took a break to lunch at the clean, white sand Emancipation Beach at Keta. It was an amazing sight of local dishes like yakayake, abolo, workple and aborbi tadi.
Mr Samuel Banibensu
(Chairman – TORGAG)
0249993565
banash69@gmail.com
Photos: Tour Operators’ Union Of (TOUGHA) Outdoor Newsletter
The Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), on Friday, November 24 launched the ‘Tougha Newsletter,’ the maiden publication of the Union.
The 44-page, full colour brochure is awash with information on the activities of TOUGHA including tours to sites and destinations and donations to selected orphanages in various parts of the country. The Union’s support towards promoting domestic tourism is also given much prominence in the new publication. Readers can also learn about travel tips in Ghana in the newsletter. Several articles, including one by TOUGHA President, Mrs. Alisa Osei-Asamoah on domestic tourism is also featured. Also contained in the newsletter are pages where almost all members of TOUGHA and their contact information can be found.
The colouful launch event at the Labadi Beach Hotel attracted a broad spectrum of Ghana’s tourism industry stakeholders, both public and private, traditional authorities, academia and the media.
Mrs. Alisa Osei- Asamoah described as historic, the publication of the newsletter. “Indeed, this is a day that I have looked forward to for a really long time. This day marks yet another important milestone in the forward march of our beloved union,” she said.
She added that the newsletter seeks to offer a credible and authoritative medium for disseminating critical industry information, analysis of sector trends, and among others, offer alternatives to policy initiatives and inspire right partnerships and penetration into unexplored products of the country’s tourism sector.
Mrs. Osei-Asamoah postulated: “TOUGHA is contributing this newsletter as a tool that we believe can perform a useful role in facilitating the creation of a more congenial environment for sustainable growth and development of the travel and tourism industry in Ghana.”
Deputy Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey congratulating TOUGHA also highlighted the significant role in Ghana’s tourism, stating that “We could not call ourselves a Ministry of Tourism without TOUGHA.” He said the Ministry would continue to partner and work with the Union to achieve the goals of building a robust tourism sector for the country.
Also pledging their continuous support and collaboration was the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, Kwadwo Odame Antwi who also spoke on behalf of the Ghana Tourism Authority CEO, Akwasi Agyeman.
A representative of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu, the Life Patron of TOUGHA, Manwerehene Baffour Osei Hyiaman Bretuo VI commended TOUGHA for the initiative to publish a newsletter. Calling for more support from the Ministry and its agencies for the Union, the Manwerehene said TOUGHA has over the years established itself as a formidable body for which reason the doors of the Asantehene were open to them on the regular.
Alongside the launch of the newsletter, founding members of TOUGHA were also given citations of honour for their pioneering role in establishing the Union. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal and CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman were also presented with citations for constantly supporting TOUGHA’s activities and Ghana’s tourism.
The evergreen Winneba Youth Choir and whiz kid, Nakeeyat were also in attendance to serenade patrons with beautiful music renditions and poetry performance respectively with exciting cultural music and dance also on display.
An e-version of the newsletter is available for download at www.touroperatorsgh.com
New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams to visit Ghana in fulfillment of promise
Mayor-elect Eric Adams will leave for a long-planned trip to the West African country of Ghana late Monday despite concerns over the new Omicron coronavirus variant in the continent’s southern region, his spokesman told The Post.
“I made a promise to myself that I would visit Ghana following the 400-year anniversary of slavery in America and the election, to show how far we have come and remember how far we still must go,” said Adams, who will be the city’s second black mayor.
The grim anniversary of slaves arriving in America passed in 2019. At the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation to Ghana to mark the historical event and the West African country encouraged the descendants of slaves to travel to their motherland for a “Year of Return.”
“This election to me was, among other things, about resetting a negative narrative so that we can have a more just and united future. I will continue to be in contact with the transition team on our progress toward Jan. 1, and with the mayor on pressing matters including Omicron while I’m in Ghana,” Adams told The Post exclusively.
He will make the weeklong trip to Ghana with family. He’s expected to return Dec. 8.
Advisers had told The Post Sunday he was reconsidering the jaunt because of the Omicron variant that originated in southern Africa and has since spread to other countries around the world.
Mayor-elect Eric Adams said he made a promise to himself to go to Ghana following the 400-year anniversary of slavery in America, which occurred in 2019.
But Adams, who is fully vaccinated and recently received a booster shot, decided to keep to his plans. Ghana and South Africa are approximately 4,000 miles apart, even farther than the distance from New York to California.
“When it comes to COVID, I have said time and time again that I will follow the science and our public health professionals as a leader — and right now travel is banned only to south African countries out of an abundance of caution.
“Should the federal government change their guidance on travel, I will immediately follow it. Meanwhile, New Yorkers must remain vigilant about preventing the spread of COVID, including wearing masks and getting their vaccines and booster shots,” Adams said.
City Health Commissioner David Chokshi said Adams — or any other New Yorker — should feel free to travel abroad if they’re fully vaccinated.
Source: NYPost
2021 Ghana Arts and Culture Awards (GACA) Held
YouTube Music partners with Culture Management Group for Afrochella 2021
YouTube Music partners with Culture Management Group for Afrochella 2021 to amplify Black voices on the continent through its Future Insiders program for aspiring music professionals.
ACCRA, GHANA November 10, 2021
Culture Management Group, in partnership with YouTube Music today announced a groundbreaking collaboration to bring
musical programs to Africa, helping to develop the youth and provide assistance to aspiring music industry professionals.
This one day in-person event will be hosted at the Afrochella Music Museum on December 27th at 12pm GMT located at BBnZ Live.
Future Insiders is one portion of the Music Community Pillar of the Black Voices Fund creating opportunities for exposure and learning for young people across the globe. To date, Future Insiders has partnered with community facing organizations in New York, Los Angeles, The Bay Area, Rio de Janeiro, Houston, Atlanta, London,
Lagos, and now Accra.
In an effort to help amplify the next generation of Black voices, the Future Insiders program aims to give young professionals who are interested in a career in music and technology the opportunity to learn hands-on skills from legendary musical professionals and industry experts. During the event, there will be two production master classes, held in recording studios, on the Art of making beats with Ghanian producers, Juls, and Guiltybeatz.
In addition to production masterclasses, aspiring professionals will also have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers during a three-part panel series. The panels will offer the audience insight into a range of musical topics which will include:
- Future Voices of Africa: A rich conversation with the next generation of
voices and leaders in African music. - A Queen Leads: A session spotlighting the innovation and creativity led by
women in the music industry. - The Diaspora Effect: A discussion about the diaspora’s effect on the growth
of African music.
“We’re so proud to join #YouTubeBlack to bring musical education resources to Ghana. With the help of this program, we can continue to inspire and influence the next generation of young African artists,” says Abdul Karim Abdullah, CEO & Co-Founder of Afrochella. “Afrochella has always been a platform that elevates up and coming creatives and through this collaboration, we’ll be able to continue this impactful work in new and meaningful ways.
“We’re very excited to bring together the meaningful work of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund with The Culture Management Group’s long standing efforts to support the artistic aspirations of African creatives,” says Addy Awofisayo, Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa, YouTube. “Afrochella has long been a beacon of light for young talent in Africa and we are thrilled to partner with them to further strengthen our commitment to empowering the next wave of Black voices.”
In response to COVID-19, Afrochella will continue to partner with the Ghanian government and public health officials to adhere to safety protocols and procedures to ensure our customers and partners have a healthy and enjoyable experience. Please visit https://afrochella.com/ to read about our safety enhancements and
COVID-19 protocols.
Entry to this event is limited to 100 attendees with RSVPs required. Tickets for the Afrochella Music Museum can be found here: https://afrochella.com/events. For more information on Afrochella 2021, please visit https://afrochella.com/ and follow @afrochella on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop about upcoming
events.
About Culture Management Group LLC
Culture Management Group LLC (CMG) is an African focused media management company introducing a diverse and innovative perspective to the African event space. Our primary focus is to highlight creative talent from and within the African continent via event management & marketing, cultural showcases, and digital documentation. CMG is also the parent company for Afrochella, an annual event located in Accra, Ghana.
About YouTubeBlack Voices Fund
YouTube announced the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund, a multi-year $100 million fund dedicated to amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists and their stories. The fund was created through the idea of investing with an intention: to present fresh narratives that emphasize the intellectual power, authenticity, dignity and joy of Black voices, as well as to educate audiences about racial justice. The fund welcomed a global group of diverse artists to its inaugural Class of 2021, and through the resources provided — dedicated one to one support, seed funding, and training and networking programs — they have achieved incredible growth, not only on YouTube, but in their careers.
Contact:
Ashley Grant-Henriques
Afrochella Public Relations
+347-405-4860
press@afrochella.com
For YouTube Music:
Paul Pennington
paulpennington@google.com
Wizkid confirmed to perform at Afrochella 2021
Nigerian superstar, Wizkid has confirmed his appearance and performance at this year’s Afrochella music festival.
The popular African music carnival hosted in Accra, Ghana will come off this year in December. The show did not come off last year due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, with the world coming back to normal gradually, organizers of the music festival have announced that Afrochella is returning this year and Wizkid will be one of the headlining acts to perform.
This year’s show has themed “Made in Africa” Afrochella Festival 2021 will happen with a series of events in December with its mega show to be staged at the El Wak Stadium in Accra, Ghana on December 28th from noon till late.
“In the last five years, we’ve made a significant impact on Ghana and its surrounding communities through our Afrochella events,” says Abdul Karim Abdullah, CEO & Co-Founder of Afrochella.
“This year, we’re thrilled to return to El Wak Stadium with Wizkid to celebrate our fifth anniversary and to support the revitalization of Ghana’s travel & hospitality industry. We look forward to welcoming travelers back to the country to once again safely enjoy live events,” he added in a press release.
🔥The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For.🔥
Performing Live: Big Wiz @wizkidayo 🦅
Tickets Available NOW!!! https://t.co/JzTQBwwe1k #afrochella2021 #bigwiz 🌍 pic.twitter.com/kuK9ElLPrv— Afrochella (@Afrochella) November 5, 2021
This year’s event will include other elements such as Afrochella Rising Star Challenge, Afrochella Music Museum: Exhibition History of Ghana, Scarecrow Art Installation, African Fashion Night Out in Collaboration with Debonair Afrikk, Afrochella Runway – Exhibition Space for Ghanaian Fashion Designers, Amapiano & Brunch and Afrochella Talks.
The lineup of mini-events for this year’s Afrocehella show is expected to kick off from 5th December and run through the month to early next year.
Source: Ameya Debrah
Brooklyn Names Street after Ghana
Brooklyn: November 4, 2021
The Borough of Brooklyn has named a street in Bed-Stuy after Ghana, highlighting the country’s leading role in building bridges amongst the global African Family. Bed-Stuy, has been a center of African-American culture since the early 20th century and has been home to several cultural icons.
Making the announcement and the presentation at a “Destination Ghana” event at Weeksville Heritage Center, Councilman Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., on behalf of the people of Bed-Stuy and the Borough of Brooklyn, commended Ghana for the Year of Return initiative and the follow up Beyond the Return project.
The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture , Hon. Dr Ibrahim Awal and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman have been staking Ghana’s claim and engaging several business and opinion leaders in the city of New York to promote the destination .
The street to be named Bed-Stuy/Ghana Way , cements the strategic partnership between Ghana and Brooklyn. Dr. Awal in thanking the Council member, threw an invitation to the audience made up of politicians, business leaders , clergy and students to build on the goodwill for mutual growth . The CEO, Akwasi Agyeman presented programs lined up this December in Ghana and a proposed Independence trade mission in March 2022.
85 year old Dr. Leonard Jeffries Jr., a well known Pan- Africanist who was in the audience was elated for seeing this day in his lifetime that Ghana will forever be part of the rich history of Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn.
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