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‘Year of Return’ stimulates Ghana’s economic growth

The ‘Year of Return’ celebrations have stimulated Ghana’s economic growth since its inception in January this year, according to Mr Akwasi Agyemang, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA),

He said the number of visitors to the country had positively impacted the private sector space including; airlines, hotels, tour operators, restaurants and arts and crafts.

Addressing journalists on the “December in Ghana Stakeholders engagement,” in Accra, highlighting events to be held as part of the year-long celebrations of the ‘Year of Return’ in December, he said various Art Centres’ merchants confirmed increased sales as compared to last year as tour operators had increased bookings to areas with linkage to the Trans-Alantic Slave trade.

Mr Agyemang revealed that the estimated amount money spent by a tourist in 2017 was $1862 but had risen to a significant $2,589, adding that the average stay by travelers had increased from 8 to 10 days.

Improved Diaspora relations, international media coverage, community involvement, high profile visits and celebrity endorsements were other benefits of the ‘Year of Return’ to the economy so far, he said.

He appreciated the media for disseminating all events and information about the celebrations thus lifting the name of Ghana high among its African counterparts and appealed to them to continue to support the rest of the upcoming activities.

Ms Annabelle Renee Mckenzie, Manager, ‘Year of Return,’ outlining the programmes for December thanked all events organizers for coming up with various events to mark ‘December in Ghana’.

She said there would be series of events from December 1st 2019 running through to January 2020 all to celebrate 400 years of African Resilience.

The events included: December 1st 2019 Exclusive Premiere, Perfect Picture 2, at the Labadi Beach Hotel, December 5th to 26th Diaspora from local to foreign art exhibition at 1 Dodi Link, December 6th live X festival with Cardi B at Accra Sports Stadium, December 6th to 7th Gold Coast Experience at the Black Star Square December 6th to 7th.

 

Source: www.ghananewsagency.org

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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