The government says its efforts to extend diaspora tourism beyond December are beginning to yield results, following the arrival of about 500 African-American visitors under the Black Star Experience initiative.
The visit builds on the momentum of Ghana’s Year of Return in 2019 and the Beyond the Return initiative, which aim to strengthen ties between Ghana and the African diaspora.
The visitors, who number more than 500, are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, the first African-American sorority founded at Howard University in the United States.
The President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Janette Anthony Reid, highlighted the significance of the visit and the group’s planned social interventions.
“One of the things we do is fight food insecurity through a programme called CHIP — Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Packs. While we are here, we intend to pack at least 1,000 power packs. We’re going to include rice, tomato paste, and packets of fish. Everyone in this group brought something to contribute,” she said.
She added that the group is also committed to supporting maternal health, noting that they plan to make a substantial donation to a hospital in Ghana to help clear maternity ward bills.
Of the 500 women, over 100 have traced their ancestry to determine their roots in Africa and are expected to receive the results during the trip through AfricanAncestry.com.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, said the visit is expected to have a significant positive impact on the economy.
“These are high net-worth spenders. They will spend on accommodation, food and beverages, transportation, gifts from the craft market, and other services. If you take an average of US$3,000 per person and multiply that by 500 visitors over a two-week stay, you can appreciate the level of tourism receipts coming into the economy,” he said.
He noted that the spending will particularly benefit the informal sector, adding that January is usually a lean season after the heavy spending in December.
“This is coming at the right time, because January is typically slow for tourism. This will help boost economic activity during the off-peak period,” he explained.
Source: 3news
