‘December in Ghana’ 2022: Endorsed calendar of events released

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, has officially unveiled the endorsed schedule of events for the 2022 ‘December in GH' events.

Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, reiterated that Culture was the foundation of tourism and urged Ghanaians to use the opportunity to showcase what the country had in terms of heritage through drinks, clothes, fashion, tourist sites, attractions, and different cuisines.

He said, “December in GH” is the country’s biggest celebration of all things, cultural, entertainment, adventure, nightlife, fashion, gastronomy, tours and community service.

“Since 2019, the ‘December in GH’ event schedule is one that many travelers look forward to when planning their activities for their holiday trip to Ghana. For locals, it offers the opportunity to know what is going on around the country in December,” he added.

The sector minister said the year’s calendar included over 90 events that had been endorsed by the “Beyond the Return” Steering Committee.

The calendar includes events taking place from November 2022 through January 2023.

He said each year there were events that had become favorites and were included in this year’s activities including, Afrochella, Little Havana, Taste of Ghana, Afro Nation, YouTube Creators Festival, Westside Carnival, Rhythms on da Runway and the Roverman Productions Festival of Plays.

Ms. Annabelle McKenzie, Manager of the ‘Beyond the Return’ Secretariat, said, “we are expecting this year to be the biggest for ‘December in GH’ and we are excited about welcoming both returning and first-time travelers to Ghana.”

She said the committee had endorsed more events that touched on the different pillars of the ‘Beyond the Return’ initiative, adding that some of the new events to the calendar include Ada Riverfest, Jollof and Afrobeat Festival, Afrobeats Bazaar, Ghana Water Polo Tournament, Nkyinkyim Museum Freedom Parade and First Time Home Buyers in Ghana Seminar.

Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer, of Ghana Tourism Authority, said Ghana was recently listed as one of the top travel destinations by National Geographic, and it was predicted that the country would receive a record number of international travelers this season.

He said the GTA was ready to receive everyone, saying “we have kick-started a series of engagements with our industry stakeholders to ensure that we are all ready. We are encouraging Ghanaians to live up to our reputation as friendly and hospitable people.”

'Beyond the Return’ is a 10-year initiative with the theme ‘A decade of African renaissance’. It is the follow-up to the successful ‘Year of Return’ campaign in 2019 that invited the global African diaspora to visit Ghana.

Seven pillars make up the foundations of ‘Beyond the Return’ with the goal of continued engagement and building strong relations with the diaspora community.

All the events on the ‘December in GH’ calendar align with at least one of the pillars which are, Experience Ghana, Celebrate Ghana, Invest in Ghana, Brand Ghana, Give Back Ghana, Diaspora Pathways to Ghana, and Promote Pan-African Heritage and Innovation.