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France24 Report on Year Of Return: Hundreds of African-Americans resettle in Ghana
France24 has in a report looked at how Ghana is increasingly becoming home to hundreds of African-Americans especially in light of the on-going ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ campaign. The report looks at the lives of some African-Americans who have settled in Ghans over the years. Read and watch the report below.
Ghana was one of the main West African departure points for the transatlantic slave trade. Today, the government has launched a campaign to reach out to the descendants of those Africans who were forcibly removed from their homelands. It has dubbed 2019 the “year of return“. Several hundred people have already put down roots in Ghana, many of them African-Americans. Our colleagues from France 2 report, with FRANCE 24‘s James Vasina.
This article comes on the heels of other reviews published earlier in the year.
Watch the programme/video report prepared by Patrick Lovett and James Vasina below.
Related Articles:
HomeToGo – https://visitghana.com/ghana-listed-in-top-10-trending-summer-destinations-for-2019/
Year Of Return: “Come with an open mind and heart” – Mona Boyd invites Diasporans
Year of Return: African Diaspora in Ghana for Back2Africa Festival
CNN: CNN Travel lists Ghana as place to visit in 2019
About Year of return, Ghana 2019
The “Year of Return, Ghana 2019” is a major landmark spiritual and birth-right journey inviting the Global African family, home and abroad, to mark 400 years of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia. The arrival of enslaved Africans marked a sordid and sad period, when our kith and kin were forcefully taken away from Africa into years of deprivation, humiliation and torture. While August 2019 marks 400 years since enslaved Africans arrived in the United States, “The Year of Return, Ghana 2019” celebrates the cumulative resilience of all the victims of the Trans Atlantic slave Trade who were scattered and displaced through the world in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.
One of the main goals of the Year of Return campaign is to position Ghana as a key travel destination for African Americans and the African Diaspora. In 2019, the events planned throughout the year will serve as a launch pad for a consistent boost in tourism for Ghana in the near and distant years. Beyond tourism, this initiative supports one of the President’s key developmental agendas in Ghana Beyond Aid. We know that tourism can be a leading indicator to business and investment.
We are focused on ensuring that our brothers and sisters have a safe, pleasant and wonderful journey home so they will want to come back, get involved, see the opportunity that exists in Ghana for us to work together and begin to rebuild what has been stolen and lost over the past 400 years.
Ghana National Tourism Industry Awards 2018 held
The much-awaited Ghana Tourism Awards to honour deserving facilities in the tourism industry in Ghana for the year 2018 was held at The Event Haven, La on Friday, March 22, 2019. In all 29 awards were presented to organisations and individual in Accommodation, Food and beverage and Entertainment, Travel Trade and Media. In addition, honorary awards were given to six (6) personalities who have contributed to the growth and the development of the Tourism Industry over the years.
Click here to view photos of awards:
Below are the award winners for the various categories.
HONORARY AWARDS
1. Edwin Owusu-Mensah – (Fmr Dir. Ministry of Tourism, Arts And Culture, Former Dep. Exec. Dir. Ghana Tourism Authority)
2. Stella W. Appenteng – (CEO – Apstar Tours Ltd)
3. Kwame Ofosu Bamfo (MD – Alisa Hotel)
4. Sajid Ali Kahn – (GM – Tang Palace Hotel,Accra,Ghana)
5. Erieca Bennett – (Head of Mission, Missions Forum: Africa Diaspora Missions Network)
6. Mark Williams – (CEO – Ashanti African Tours Ltd)
ACCOMMODATION AWARDS
- 5 Star Hotel of the Year – Movenpic Ambassador Hotel
- 4 Star Hotel of the Year – Tang Palace Hotel
- 3 Star Hotel of the Year – Holiday Inn Hotel
- 2 Star Hotel of the Year – Ibis Styles
- 1 Star Hotel of the Year – Coconut Grove Sakumono
- Guest House of the Year – Petit Palais Guesthouse
- Budget Hotel of the Year – Ronna lodge, Adidome
- Hostel of the Year – Bedstudy Osu
- Serviced Apartment of the Year – Red Mango Apartments chapel Hill
FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND ENTERTAINMENT (CATERING) AWARDS
- Restaurant Grade 1 – Azmera Restaurant
- Restaurant Grade 2 – The Buka Restaurant Ltd
- Restaurant Grade 3 – Madela Restaurant, Sunyanil
- Fast Food of the Year – Papaye Fast Foods Ltd.
- Night Club of the Year – Plot 7 Night Club, Osu
- Traditional Caterer (Chop Bar) of the Year – Bush Kanteen Shiashie,
- Drinking Bar of the Year – The Treasures Pub, Agbogba
TRAVEL SERVICES AWARDS
1. Airline of the Year – South African Airways
2. Tour Operator of the Year – Landtours Ghana
3. Travel Agency of the Year – Satguru Travels Ghana Ltd
4. Car Rental Service of the Year – Atlas Rent A Car
5. Visitor Attraction of the Year – Kakum National Park Ghana
MEDIA AWARD WINNERS
1. Tourism Writer of the Year – Kofi Akpabli
2. Tourism Oriented Media TV – TV3 Media,
3. Tourism Oriented Media (Radio)- Citi 97.3 FM
4. Tourism Oriented Media (Print)- The Mirror
5. Tourism Oriented Media (Online) – Voyages AFRIQ MEDIA
6. Tourism Programme of the Year – Our Heritage by UTV Ghana
About The Awards
The National Tourism Awards was instituted by the Ghana Tourism Authority in 1997 to reward excellent performance in the tourism sector.
It is one of the flagship events of the GTA held annually and it sets the tone for high standards in service delivery among practitioners in the tourism sector.
Awards, including honorary awards, are presented to practitioners and organisations who have made maintained high standards and individuals who have made immense contributions to the growth and development of Ghana’s tourism industry.
The award usually attracts high profile personalities in government, business, politics, academia and practitioners within the tourism industry.
CNN Travel lists Ghana as place to visit in 2019
In article by Barry Neild, published some few hour ago, CNN Travel recommended Ghana as one of 19 destinations for 2019 travellers. This comes at the back of a publication by Travel Lemming listing Ghana as one of the top 5 destinations to visit in Africa in 2019.
Singling out efforts marketing Ghana as a destination of choice for diasporans with the #yearofreturn
#Ghana2019 which has outlined programs commemorating 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in North America as key reason. The writer highlights Ghana’s unique selling proposition with his.., “For all the sobriety of this anniversary, what also awaits visitors to Ghana is the warm, intoxicating embrace of country completely at ease with its identity rushing headlong towards a bright future”.
The key attraction for the visitor is the one place where walls built over centuries ago seem to speak to everyone including the Obama’s and Melania Trump and the several thousands who have visited the Cape Coast Castle.
Come and #SeeGhana #EatGhana #WearGhana and #FeelGhana #discoverghana #exploreghana
Barry Neild – Source: CNN Travel