Ghana’s tourism industry is mourning the loss of Prince Anthony Bart-Appiah, a prominent tourism advocate and key architect of the country’s flagship Year of Return campaign.
Prince Anthony died in the early hours of Sunday, July 26, 2026, at his private residence in Spintex, Accra. His passing was announced by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 28.
A member of the GTA Governing Board since 2025, Prince Anthony was a former British Army officer and a royal of the Akwamu clan. He was widely recognised for his pivotal role in the conception and promotion of the Year of Return initiative, which successfully positioned Ghana as a leading heritage and tourism destination for the African diaspora.
Launched in 2019 to commemorate 400 years since the first recorded arrival of enslaved Africans in English North America, the campaign attracted thousands of visitors to Ghana and significantly boosted the country’s global tourism profile.
Prince Anthony also served as Chief Executive Officer of Bridgezone, an agency committed to promoting Africa to Western audiences and strengthening cultural and business ties between the continent and the diaspora.
Beyond his professional achievements, he was a devoted father of two teenagers.
The Ghana Tourism Authority expressed its deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the wider tourism fraternity, describing his contributions to Ghana’s tourism development as invaluable. His legacy is expected to endure through the continued growth of the Year of Return and other initiatives that have strengthened Ghana’s position as a premier cultural and heritage tourism destination.
Source: joynews
