The Year of Return campaign introduced by government boosted tourism receipts to US$3.3bn in 2019, Tourism Minister Barbara Oteng-Gyasi has told Parliament.
Last year, the country attracted an increased number of visitors from all over the world as a result of the campaign, which commemorated the 400th anniversary since the first documented slave ship from Africa landed in the United States of America.
Officially launched in August 2018, the campaign saw several diasporans heed the call and make the journey to Ghana to experience the country’s rich culture, heritage, and hospitality. The main aims of the campaign included increasing the number of international arrivals to 1m visitors and brand Ghana as the gateway to Africa.
Appearing before Parliament on Thursday to give an account of the celebration, the Tourism Minister described its local and global impact as “unimaginable”.
“By the end of the year, international arrivals reached 1.13m, Tourism Minister Barbara Oteng-Gyasifrom 956,372 in 2018, a 27 percent growth, which was above the global average of 5 percent. The average expenditure per tourist increased from US$2,708 in 2018 to US$2,931 in 2019.
The receipts attributed to tourism is therefore US$3.3bn,” she said. Touching on the impact of the campaign on the hospitality industry, Mrs. Oteng-Gyasi said several hotels realised 100 percent capacity in the month of December 2019.
She also gave a breakdown of the expenditure areas—accommodation accounted for 41 percent, food and beverages (21 percent), shopping (14 percent), local transport (8 percent), entertainment (5 percent), and other spending (11 percent).
