They came!! From where? From the Americas, Europe, Caribbean and other African nations. Every December, thousands of people across the world come to Ghana.
The Christmas holiday season, just like in most countries, has always been buzzing. But since 2019 when government elevated the festive season through a deliberate tourism campaign, Ghana has become the favourite destination for fun-seekers every December. The whole world literally comes to Ghana for what is now referred to as ‘December in GH’.
This has enabled the country’s tourism economy to be vibrant, providing lots of revenue for nation building. In 2021, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) estimated that US$2billion will be added to the Ghanaian economy from a targeted arrival of 600,000 people.
In order to drive the rising tourist visits, the GTA activated the country’s emotional tourism touchpoints – Hospitality, Food, Music, Arts, Culture and ‘Gen Z’ Pop Lifestyle among others through the ‘Year of Return’ and ‘Beyond the Return’ initiatives. But these are not all the reasons. Ghana has blazed the trail for stable democratic governance and economic growth, becoming the continent’s shining star and easily identified as the gateway of Africa on many fronts – tourism, investments, economic growth among others.
Credit goes to the like of Afrochella, Akwaaba UK and many others who have championed higher diaspora travel to Ghana every December.
With a master ‘December in GH’ brand created by the GTA two years ago, these events have enjoyed massive promotional power to attract global attention to Ghana. Despite COVID-19, the numbers were impressive in December 2021.
“Thanks to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) under the able leadership of Dr. Ibrahim Awal, this year’s activations were carefully crafted – focusing on more outdoor activities bearing in mind the times we are in,” said Akwasi Agyeman, CEO-Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).
In keeping up with the momentum, the Ghana government through the GTA heavily activated the ‘Beyond the Return’ initiative in December – showcasing to the world the country’s tourism potentials.
‘Beyond The Return’ has the objective of sustaining the momentum from the ‘Year of Return’. It is a 10-year project built on seven pillars – Experience Ghana, Invest in Ghana, Diaspora Pathway to Ghana, Celebrate Ghana, Brand Ghana, Give Back Ghana and Promote Pan-African Heritage and Innovation.
“Over the next eight years remaining of the Beyond the Return Project, we will ensure that December in GH becomes a stronger anchor for our lifestyle and leisure offerings. To do this, we will strengthen stakeholder and private sector collaboration. Innovation is key in the new normal,” Akwasi Agyeman added.
The diaspora has been a big part of these plans. There has been a current trend where people of African descent in America, the Caribbean and Europe come back home as compared to years before, through a gradual build-up of the cultural connection. Musical concerts, beach activations and cultural festivals are driving the connection to Africa for a lot of these Afro-descendants who visit Ghana.
In December 2021, several events were held providing visitors with a rich buffet of experiences. From major shows such Afrochella, Wildaland, Rapperholic, Akwaaba Parties, Polo Beach Club, Taste of Ghana, Little Havana, Around the World, Rythmz on the Runway to the Shatta Concert, Samini Experience, Stonebwoy’s concert, Western Carnivals, Nite of Laughs, Taste Tales, Pine X Ginja, Explosion of Joy and the Roverman plays, it felt as if all angles were covered. Then there were the Disapora conversations and investment forums, creating a platform for business opportunities in the motherland to be made much more manifest.
The hospitality, events and services sector experienced a badly-needed boom in these COVID -19 times through the above and many other events which sprang up across the country.
Afrochella Arts and Music Festival, which has in recent times become Ghana’s most visible and anticipated event for creatives, continues to turn the eyes of the world to the country every Christmas. The 2021 edition, headlined by Wizkid, was nothing short of amazing; and in a year that saw a hugely publicised partnership with Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, they lived up to the billing. This edition saw many beautiful art installations with a mix of cultural diversity.
Wildaland Festival was a new entrant, and it took the party outside Accra. It was a 48-hour music festival inside the Shai Forest Reserve, creating a distinct entertainment experience that is unforgettable. It had Stonebwoy, Adekunle Gold, Kidi, Sarkodie, Davido and many top liners performing for the two days.
GTA supported most of these events with sponsorship, marketing and promotions, and provided health and safety support among others.
According to GTA, December 2021 was an opportunity for the country to open up the event space, putting the spotlight on local events. “The focus was to throw more light on our local events to a global audience during the season,” Mr. Agyeman noted.
Annabelle McKenzie, a diasporan who returned in 2018 and now manages the Beyond the Return secretariat says: “We have seen a lot of positive conversations around Ghana since 2019 and a lot of requests come in from African-Americans, especially around the subject of citizenship and investments”.
There is no doubt that December in GH has become one of Ghana’s successful tourism brands and an anchor that has created a global wave, perhaps a movement, with people always looking forward to it every year. From the organisation that kick-started the global African reunion with the Year of Return, GTA has introduced a new brand that is here to stay.
