The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) received the Outstanding Tourism Event in Africa award for its impactful “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” initiatives at the 25th-anniversary celebration of the GOGE Africa Festival, held on October 27, 2024, at Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, Nigeria.
Representing GTA CEO Akwasi Agyeman were Moses Ndewin Ndebugri, Director of the Upper West Region, and Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Director of Domestic Marketing.
The award celebrated the significant influence of Ghana’s “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” initiatives in honoring African heritage, strengthening connections with the African diaspora, and positioning Ghana as a top destination for cultural tourism.
This year’s GOGE Africa Festival, themed “Symphony of Cultures,” gathered over 20,000 attendees from 32 countries. The event celebrated African heritage through vibrant exhibitions, parades, music, dance, and culinary contests. The festival’s centerpiece, “Our Shared Heritage,” underscored the historical and cultural bonds among African nations.
Kusi highlighted Nigeria’s strategic importance as Africa’s largest market and outlined Ghana’s intensified marketing campaigns to promote its tourism assets. He also expressed gratitude to GTA’s leadership and stakeholders for their vision in advancing Ghana’s tourism goals.
GOGE Africa founders, Isaac and Nneka Moses, commended Ghana’s efforts in positioning Africa as a leading tourism destination through “Beyond the Return.”
Launched in 2019, the “Year of Return” initiative led by the Ghana Tourism Authority attracted over 1.18 million visitors from the African diaspora and beyond. The ongoing “Beyond the Return” program now focuses on seven strategic pillars to enhance Ghana’s tourism potential, deepen bonds, and drive innovative economic and cultural partnerships.