Tourism, Arts and Tradition Minister Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, on Thursday, declared in Accra that a 10-12 months programme, referred to as the “Decade of African Renaissance 2020-2030” has been initiated to improve Ghana’s tourism market.
She claimed the programme would showcase the probable of Ghana’s tourism field and consolidate its Diaspora engagement.
The Minister created the announcement, when answering a concern from Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu, who required to know “the quantity of readers involved with the Yr of Return initiative and the approximated financial gains for Ghana for the 2019 Fiscal Year”.
The Programme was to assistance Africans in the Diaspora to reconnect with their African roots.
It was a landmark spiritual and start-right journey inviting the worldwide African family members, household and overseas, to mark 400 decades since the arrival of the initially enslaved Africans to the United States.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi gave thumbs up to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for launching the Programme and described as “unimaginable how much of an effects the Yr of Return would make on the community and international scales.”
She stated: “Right Honourable Speaker, by the close of the calendar year, intercontinental travels reached 1.13 million from 956,372 in 2018, a 27% expansion, which was higher than the worldwide regular of 5%.
The common expenditure per tourist increased from $2, 708 in 2018 to $2,931 in 2019.
“The receipts attributed to tourism are, thus, $3,312 billion.”
The Minister claimed the greater selection of vacationers to Ghana positively impacted personal sector industries such as airways, inns tour operators, eating places and art and craft sellers, amid other individuals.
She stated 126 African Diasporians were being granted citizenship, “ and this was the best team of African Diasporans to obtain citizenship in one instance.”
There were being also college projects these as individuals in Akosombo, Chorkor and Bortianor in Better Accra and boreholes in Akropong and an ICT centre in Nyamebekyere, which have develop into legacies of the Yr of Return.
In addition to an increased media mileage, the protection of the 12 months of Return, the Minster explained, “changed the narrative about Africa and branded Ghana as the gateway to Africa and a single of the prime tourism, expenditure and repatriation places in the planet.”
The Minister the nation also benefited from the check out of top globe figures these kinds of as the Speaker of the Property of Representatives of the United States, Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Black Caucus, American Comedian Steve Harvey, the Nationwide Affiliation for the Advancement of Coloured Persons (NAACP) President, Derrick Johnson Mia Mottley the Primary Minister of Barbados, between others.
“After checking out Ghana big stars, influencers, and guests have posted on Fb, Instagram about 100,000 occasions about Yr of Return.
“Social media posts about the Year of Return from best superstars such as Steve Harvey, Boris Kodjoe, Sarkodie, Deborah Cox, Bozoma, and media firms and a lot of extra have attained much more that 20 million people today,” she said.
“Steve Harvey as a adhere to up to the 12 months of Return, has started recording his globe renowned method, “Family Feud”, in Ghana”.
