Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture for Ghana, has announced the official opening of a Tourism and cultural hub in New York to serve the North American Market and help promote tourism to Ghana.
He made the announcement at the Destination Ghana Networking event that was held in New York City on September 18, 2022.
The event, a collaboration of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) brought together business leaders and leaders of the African diaspora community to network and learn more about the opportunities for tourism, business and investment in Ghana.
The event also served as an opportunity to engage with the community and learn more about what their needs were when travelling to Ghana.
“The U.S. is very important to Ghana in areas of culture and tourism,” Dr Awal said. The United States accounts for the largest number of tourists that visit Ghana annually, making them a significant place of marketing to Ghana.
“We’re going to open a Cultural and Tourism office in New York next year to serve as the tool and vehicle to drive culture and tourism between the U.S. and Ghana.
“By March next year it will happen and I can assure you that it will help facilitate all the issues of our tourism and culture.”
Members of the Ghanaian delegation included Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Tourism Authority, Yofi Grant, CEO of GIPC, Ekow Sampson, Deputy CEO of GTA, Annabelle McKenzie, Director, Beyond the Return Secretariat.
The event was graced by Rocky Dawuni, Grammy-nominated artist, Barkue Tubman, Chief of Staff of Essence Communications, Jerry Adinkra, Cultural and Tourism Ambassador and members of the Ghanaian and historical diaspora community.
The event was well attended and also featured cultural performances.
“We are building a Ghana brand that will be a hub for tourism and culture in West Africa.
“We need your support to build that Ghana brand and drive a lot of tourists from New York to Ghana every year,” Dr Awal said.
The Consul General of the Ghana Mission in New York, Ambassador Atta Boafo assured the gathering that the process of obtaining visas will be simplified.
He assured that Ghanaians abroad can use both their Ghana and U.S. passports when travelling to and from Ghana with ease.
GTA CEO Mr Agyeman highlighted the activities lined up for December in Ghana this year which includes Afrochella, Taste of Ghana, AfroNation, Little Havanna, and Detty Rave amongst others and invited the African Diaspora to be part of it.
The minister also assured everyone that important tourist sites are undergoing renovations and will be modernized to create a better travel experience.
Earlier this year the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Museum were closed for renovations and Dr Awal said it will reopen next year.
“We will have a fully furnished and modernized Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park by March of next year, ” he said. “The museum is being expanded and refurbished,” he said.
The minister’s announcement is part of the Destination Ghana Networking event in New York.
The Destination Ghana campaign was launched earlier this year in London in the United Kingdom to promote Ghana as a tourism destination worldwide.
Hinged on the fact that Ghana is at the centre of the world, the campaign builds on the strength of Ghana’s Year of Return campaign which encouraged the diaspora to come to Ghana and helped boost international arrivals to over 1.1 million in 2019.
