George Quaye says the December in GH brand has been doused and wants whatever replaces it to carry equal or greater weight.

Published 11 Nov 2026, 08:29 GMT

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Creative entrepreneur George Quaye says Ghana's 'December in GH' brand has lost some of its momentum and should have been promoted and protected with more energy.

In a conversation on Joy FM's Showbiz A-Z with host Kwame Dadzie, Mr Quaye accepted that every administration has the right to pursue fresh policies, yet insisted a proven national brand merited firmer backing.

"It's just sad that the fire around the brand December in GH feels a bit doused," he said. He added that he was not apportioning blame, recalling when December in GH was "the lead brand that was headlining everything" after the Ghana Tourism Authority courted event organisers worldwide.

"New king, new law. Everybody has their vision," he said.

"There is nothing wrong with having a vision and wanting to propagate it," Mr Quaye added, while maintaining that any shift away from a proven programme ought to be backed by an even stronger replacement as the government rolls out the Black Star Experience.

"Maybe it's just more time that we need, but I would have wished that what was started some time back that was titled the December in GH, which became a global phenomenon, would have been jealously guarded and pushed," he added.

The GTA originally launched December in GH to draw foreign travellers and diaspora visitors for the holidays, with the campaign gaining major traction during 2019's Year of Return as music shows, festivals and homecoming gatherings anchored the year-end schedule.

Ghanaian creative Bernard Kafui Sokpe, widely known as Mr Meister, helped popularise the parallel phrase 'Detty December' in 2019. That label later drew pushback from Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin in May 2025, who vowed to oppose the term because he felt it cast the country in a poor light.

Kofi Okyere Darko, who directs Diaspora Affairs at the Presidency, raised his own reservations in December 2025 and called for the holiday calendar to look past nightlife toward business deals and professional networking.

By contrast, disc jockey and event promoter DJ Mensah stood by the 2025 festive season, pointing to packed hotels and multiple sold-out shows.

Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the Tourism Ministry and the GTA have lined up over 150 activities under the 'Ghana to the World' banner between December 1, 2026 and January 3, 2027, after the Authority extended its call for event proposals.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

&#39;December in GH&#39; has lost some of its momentum – George Quaye

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'December in GH' has lost some of its momentum – George Quaye