Ghana's Return Tours Tap Celebrity African Americans – And Overlook a Reality

In December 2020, the Ghanaian government launched the "Beyond the Return" campaign as a follow-up to its record-breaking Year of Return initiative, which brought 1.1 million visitors and $3.3 billion in tourism revenues in 2019. 

Covid predictably stifled the start of this next phase, designed as a ten-year strategy to attract African Americans to visit as well as invest in Ghana. That didn't stop the Ghanaian government and its tourism board, however, from continuing to market to affluent African Americans as the recovery continues. And they're doing it by tapping into the power of African American celebrities.

Superstar buzz combined with a strong heritage narrative to sell a destination isn’t a new marketing tactic. But in a pandemic world in which Ghanaian communities have been hit hard, African American celebrities touting their lavish vacations online — including photos with the president of Ghana — has sparked controversy, first reported in OkayAfrica. It's also launched an important conversation about the inequity that this marketing approach may be driving. 

Therein lies the conundrum: how will African American stars driving tourism and repatriation numbers translate into economic empowerment and an improved quality of life for host communities? And what is the long-term impact of a tourism campaign that encourages the mass exodus of privileged African Americans to Ghana?

“We definitely talk about it and I think there’s tension around it right now because people are not seeing what the benefits could be in the future for the average Ghanaian citizen,” said Kristin Quaye, African-American co-founder of Certified Africa, a lifestyle and tour company that recently partnered with United Airlines to offer Africa travel packages. 

Locals feel the celebrities who are coming to Ghana are painting their country in a way that doesn’t reflect the reality on ground, Quaye said. 

“They're utilizing the celebrities to attract the average African American citizen; which I might point out, the average African American visitor is not taking pictures with the president and doing all those things that celebrities do. But when they come, they spend money in the country and it trickles down.” 

Skift reached out to the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Hotels Association