The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Barbara Oteng Gyasi, marked this year’s Emancipation Day with wreath-laying ceremonies in Accra.
A delegation comprising government officials, traditional rulers, and members from the Diaspora laid wreaths at the grave-sites of renowned Pan-Africanists W.E.B Dubois, George Padmore and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Recounting the recent killing of George Floyd, an African-American in the United States, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman urged Africans to embrace their culture and heritage – highlighting the interconnectedness of the African struggle on the continent, Europe and the Americas.
This important event in the country’s tourism calendar was observed this week despite the fact that the Tourism and Hospitality Industry has incurred losses running to US$171million as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The amount was for the period March to June this year, due to lack of operations.
Border closures have prevented the anticipated volume of African-Americans and Afro-Caribbean, scholars of Black history, and the general African diaspora from patronising this year’s Emancipation Day. Government was hoping to build on the success of the Year of Return, a tourism initiative that proved massively successful.
A total of US$1.9billion was generated into the economy through activities related to the ‘Year of Return’, with an increase of over 200,000 for total arrivals into the country. However, outbreak of the pandemic held in abeyance any thought of building on those numbers with a view to rake in foreign currency to build the country’s reserves.
Figures from the Ghana Immigration Service indicated that the percentage of Americans arriving in Ghana reached their highest-ever rate between January and September 2019, increasing by 26 percent.
The ‘Year of Return’ cemented Ghana’s Pan-African legacy and put a global spotlight on the country, which helped to position it as a historic, cultural and vibrant hub – and the tourism sector was hopeful of building on this success by crafting a new initiative named ‘Beyond the Return, The Diaspora Dividend’.
Sadly, the global outbreak of the pandemic has put all that on hold until the virus is contained, or a vaccine is found to curb its spread.
The tourism sector – more than all other sectors of the economy – has taken a hit as a result of COVID-19, but with the improving health outlook we are hopeful the sector will soon regain its prominence.
As COVID restrictions are gradually eased, onus rests on individual responsible behaviour
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief executive, is to reconvene the agency’s emergency committee this week to assess the pandemic.
He admitted that the world has made a huge effort, but conceded that there is “a long hard road ahead of us”.
The WHO first declared spread of the virus to be an international health emergency in January, and there is no possibility that status will be changed at this point.
Ghana recorded 655 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 33,624.
However, recoveries/discharges have increased to 29,801, leaving the country with 3,655 active cases. The president, in his 14th address to the nation on updates of the pandemic last Sunday, said COVID-19 will remain a part of our lives until a treatment is found.
However, Ghana cannot remain in a never-ending crisis management situation; therefore, he announced the second phase of the gradual easing of restrictions – which brings a rebounding of economic life. However, as a precaution, the country’s borders remain closed to human traffic; which shows we appreciate the complexity of the problem at hand, and will not rush to ease all restrictions since we are not in normal times.
Minister for Finance Ken Ofori-Atta presented government’s mid-year review budget to Parliament and announced a Relief, Resilience and Recovery plan, with the overarching aim of providing relief to the ordinary Ghanaian and strengthening productive sectors of the economy to ensure sustained economic activity.
Government is resolved in this second phase to help Ghanaians fully return to their daily routines, President Akufo-Addo indicated, but further admonished that Ghanaians remain vigilant, and respect the enhanced hygiene, mask-wearing and social distancing protocols that have become part and parcel of our daily routine.
As the country’s recovery rate improves we need to remain steadfast, since the virus is no respecter of persons, and adhere to the laid-down health protocols as the world endeavours to find a cure for this deadly virus.
FIN
The post Emancipation observed in spite of COVID’s hit to tourism appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.
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