Desmond Blackmore, better known as D-Black, who is the C.E.O of Black Avenue Music, has expressed his displeasure about claims that appointed tourism ambassadors whose key responsibility is to use their influence to promote Ghana as a tourist destination over the next two years are not performing well.

According to D Black, assertions that the Tourism Ambassadors were appointed based on their affiliations with the governing NPP and not because of their competence is false.

The ‘Vera’ hitmaker said comparing the ambassadors to Abeiku Santana, John Dumelo and others isn’t right as they are not better than any of the ambassadors selected by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) because the organisation has an agenda which desire specific class of people to achieve its goals.

“Who is Abeiku Santana and who is John Dumelo? Every one of us have our professions, so the ministry decides the people they want to push our tourism agenda with. I don’t work with the ministry, I don’t work with the tourism authority, and I know for a fact that not everyone appointed tourism ambassador campaigned for the NPP. I didn’t,” D Black stressed.

D Black noted that, the GTA needs people who can push Ghana tourism far and the people selected are the right ones.

He urged Ghanaians to give the appointees the chance to prove their worth rather than comparing them to Dumelo and Abeiku Santana.



The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, last year unveiled 30 Ambassadors at a cocktail event to spearhead the “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana” campaign.

Catherine Afeku, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said the aim of the Tourism Ambassador programme, was to partner influential persons to help drive tourism growth in and outside the country.

According to her, the programme is to enhance, develop and deliver destination management objectives and potentially help position Ghana as a tourist destination of choice.



The appointed Tourism Ambassadors include D-Black, Praye, Lucky Mensah, Dada K.D, Kakyire Kwame Appiah, Okyeame Kwame, Reggie and Bollie, Evangelist Diana Asamoah, Fancy Gadam, DSP Kofi Sarpong, Cindy Thompson, Fuse ODG, Bibi Bright, Van Vicker , Sam Okyere, Daddy Lumba, Stephen Appiah, Sarkodie, Sena Dagadu, Yvonne Nelson, Agya Koo, Abedi Pele, Andy Dosty, Sherifa Gunu and Noella Wiyala.