What's Hot?
Five years after, Lagos Inaugurates Randle Centre for...
The future of global music is African
CAA Signs ‘Heroes’ Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis
Philly filmmaker Walé Oyéjidé captures the beauty of...
Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ Becomes Most Watched Nigerian Music...
Winners Emerge At Maiden Arts4Change Competition
”It is Bohemian” – Group Urges NBC To...
‘Dark October’: Parents Of Slain Uniport Students Seek...
With ‘Lift Me Up’ Wakanda Soundtrack, Tems Earns...
Delta Inaugurates Leisure Park, Film Village In Asaba
The Culture Newspaper
  • Home
  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
    • Culture Africana
    • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Music, Movies & More
  • News
    • Travel News
  • Opinion
    • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality
Tourism & Hospitality

How To Spark A Global Movement: Ghana’s ‘Year Of Return’ Welcomes 1M Visitors

by The Culture Newspaper December 11, 2019
by The Culture Newspaper December 11, 2019

Tourism is big business. Globally, it accounts for more than 10% of GDP. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, 1 out of 5 of all jobs created in the last 5 years was in tourism. But on the African continent, it accounts for only 3.6% of GDP. With its massive growth and job creating potential, it’s no wonder why African governments are trying to increase tourism to their nations. None has done it as well as Ghana. The “Year of Return” has hit a chord.

In January of 2019, the Ghana Tourism Authority projected that “Year of Return” programming would bring 500,000 diasporans to visit the country over the course of the year. The actual number has well exceeded expectations. The Ghana Tourism Authority reports that there have already been 750,000 foreign visitors in 2019 and that number is expected to top 1M before the year ends.

Koshie Mills has played a part in this success. Born in Ghana, raised in the UK, and living in America, Mills can understand the perspective of Africans living at home and abroad. Her children are American on paper but grew up Ghanaian in spirit. The food in their home was Ghanaian. They were raised with Ghanaian values. And even though they had never been to Ghana, if you asked them where they were from, they would respond “Ghana”. In 2016, Mills decided that it was time for them to actually see where they came from. The family spent a month in Ghana. They met their grandparents. They sparked a movement. “Their reaction when they came galvanized me. More American youth need to come to visit Africa. It sparked such a life in my sons’ eyes,” said Mills.

Today In: Leadership
A family in traditional Ghanaian dress poses with an Ashanti King

Mills and her family take a picture with the Ashanti King during their trip to Ghana. (Left to … [+]

The Diaspora Dialogues

A trip to Ghana can change a person, but how did this trip help spark a movement? Mills’ sons are all successful Hollywood actors. Kofi Siriboe stars in the hit Queen Sugar, Kwesi Boakye is most well-known for his role in Tyler Perry’s film I Can Do Bad All Myself and Kwame Boateng, the eldest brother, has been seen on countless TV shows and films such as Not Easily Broken. Their trip to Ghana was covered in Essence magazine and ever since their first trip, the family has come back every December bringing more and more friends each time.

Four African men pose on the red carpet.

Mills and her family on the red carpet. She believes her sons’ Ghanaian values have helped them … [+]

The Diaspora Dialogues

This can potentially explain hundreds of visitors, but not hundreds-of-thousands. It cannot just be a trio of famous brothers visiting their home that fueled this movement.

“We have to figure out way for them to come back to the soil. There is something healing about it.”

Koshie Mills

Mills, the Ghanaian Ambassador for Film, Art, and Culture has an idea of why traveling to Ghana has resonated so deeply with so many people around the world. Traveling to Ghana is not just about visiting the beaches and tasting the food. It is about healing. Ghana was the point-of-no-return for many kidnapped Africans. According to UNESCO, there are 4 slave castles and 23 slave forts still visible along Ghana’s coast. Mills believes that is it important for their descendants to visit the literal or symbolic place where their ancestors entered slavery. “We have to figure out way for them to come back to the soil. There is something healing about it. You don’t even know it’s there, just because you never touched down,” said Mills.

Mills knows the healing power of connection and dialogue. Her family’s visit to Ghana also inspired her turn her dream for The Diaspora Dialogues into reality. The Diaspora Dialogues are a forum where people from the diaspora and the continent can have space to “share our trauma and heal it.” They were aired on The Africa Channel in 2018 but have received such positive feedback that they will be more widely distributed through digital platforms in North America, Africa, and Europe in 2020.

Three famous sons of Ghana visited their home. This brought Ghana into the media spotlight, inspiring members of the global African diaspora to return to the continent. As more people visited, more people were inspired to come. But Ghana isn’t the first African country to be visited by influential celebrities with African roots. Akon, for example, has visited his native Senegal many times in recent years. The impact on tourism has not been the same.

A group of young African women celebrating in rural Uganda.

While Mills is Ghanaian, she wants to support tourism, dialogue, and connections across the … [+]

Superstar Films

“What changed it was the welcome,” said Mills. The UN Declaration is what was needed to inspire people to come now. “Sometimes people just need to hear I’m welcome,” added Mills. While she and her sons were an inspiration for many people to visit, “it was a crescendo of so many voices that put Ghana on the map.” She hopes that the success of Ghana’s “Year of Return” can help many other African governments to come up with similar initiatives. She is just wrapping up a trip to Uganda at invitation of their Ministry of Tourism. So, while hundreds of thousands of people from around the world will be ringing in the new decade with millions of Ghanaians, maybe 2020 will be the year of Uganda.

Source: Forbes

0
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinWhatsappEmail
The Culture Newspaper

previous post
Dubai records 12m visitors in 9 months
next post
Cabo Verde Inaugurates Its Brand New Lagos Route

You may also like

WATO Launches Regional Ecotourism Network, Rallies Key Tourism...

December 13, 2022

Thailand sets US$46.2 billion tourism revenue target for...

October 3, 2022

Destination West Africa Project Berths In Lagos

September 19, 2022

In Anambra, Boston Hotel & Resort Brings Fresh...

September 5, 2022

With World Bank Support, West African Ecotourism Network...

August 29, 2022

Ethiopian Skylight to become the largest hotel in...

August 22, 2022

Ondo, La Campagne Tropicana Plan Araromi Beach Front...

August 16, 2022

La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort Blazes Trail With...

July 13, 2022

At Akwaaba African Travel Market 2022, Medical Tourism...

June 28, 2022

Conference On Tourism, Creative Industry Wasteful Jamboree, Says...

June 20, 2022

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

  • Five years after, Lagos Inaugurates Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History
  • The future of global music is African
  • CAA Signs ‘Heroes’ Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis
  • Philly filmmaker Walé Oyéjidé captures the beauty of Blackness in his debut feature
  • Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ Becomes Most Watched Nigerian Music Video On YouTube

Sponsored

Recent Posts

  • Five years after, Lagos Inaugurates Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History

    January 31, 2023
  • The future of global music is African

    January 30, 2023
  • CAA Signs ‘Heroes’ Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis

    January 30, 2023

Categories

  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
  • Culture Africana
  • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Music, Movies & More
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Photo News
  • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Interview
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality
  • Travel News
  • Travel Trends
  • Travelogue
  • What's Hot?
  • World Culture

Connect with us

Connect with us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

@2019 - The Culture Newspaper. All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Zero-One

The Culture Newspaper
  • Home
  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
    • Culture Africana
    • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Music, Movies & More
  • News
    • Travel News
  • Opinion
    • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality