A reported $1.9 billion was generated in Ghana. through tourism and activities related to the “Year of Return”.
Tourist levels spiked with an increase of more than 26% in December 2019 in Ghana, due to a call to the African Diaspora by the Ghanaian president to the young and upwardly mobile, for the Year of the Return. The total number of arrivals into Ghana stood at approximately 750,000 according to the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, she explained 'the Year of Return” program has also brought about an increase of over 200,000 people in total arrivals into the country'.
She expressed the total number of arrivals in the country this year stood at about 750,000. Mrs Oteng-Gyasi was speaking at a ceremony at Anomabo to inaugurate a tourist centre and hand over facilities at the Heroes Garden which has been transformed into a Memorial Garden of Return to boost tourism in the town.
Before the refurbishment exercise, the Heroes Garden had portrait statues of Kwegyir Aggrey, Ekem Ferguson and Nana Amonoo I of Anomabo and now has in addition symbolic statues of people of the African diaspora returning “home”.
The activity is part of the 'Legacy Project' by the ministry to commemorate the “Year of Return.”
The tourist centre will serve as an information centre and provide a welcoming environment for tourists.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said the government was working hard to ensure that the country derived optimum benefits from the sector to accelerate development of Anomabo and indeed the country at large. This initiative has set a new president for the continent of Africa.
Ghana has an exciting schedule of events set for this coming festive season in December 2020, despite speculation on the current Covid19 effected environment, commercial confidence among businesses remains high.