The CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman has reacted to the assertion that the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has in its possession, revenue made from Year of Return, by stating that the revenue did not directly come to the Authority. Rather, the economic impact was felt by businesses in the tourism industry such as hotels and transportation companies.
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He was speaking in an interview with Happy FM’s Doctar Cann on the ‘Showbiz Xtra’ show when he stated:”We measured the economic impact of Year of Return through interviews at the airport.
On the average, a person spent about 2589 dollars. So when we say it brought money into the economy, it was indirectly through hotels, drivers, among others”.
He furthered that even though the Year of Return was to mark four hundred years since slaves were taken from Africa to the Americas, the initiative has sparked conversations between Ghana and other countries. And as such, the President has given the go ahead for a new program dubbed ‘Beyond the Return’, which will ensure that what was started in 2019 will continue.
He, however, stated that the Authority has noted some areas it needed to work on, especially on the issue of effective communication.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
