The New Kwame Nkrumah Park: Implications for Diaspora Tourism
The facelift to The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park this week is auspicious for tourism in Ghana and also for the African Diaspora community. This piece discusses the significance of diaspora or roots tourism, especially for the African continent.
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Very early in his strategising towards the liberation struggle, Nkrumah recognised the role of the Diaspora. No wonder he drew influence from thinkers such as W.E.B. Dubois, George Padmore, and Marcus Garvey.
When eventually he became the leader of a newly independent Ghana, Nkrumah sought to harness this community of Africans at large. Across the years, initiatives such as PANAFEST, The Joseph Project and currently, Beyond the Return have subscribed to this ideal that we are connected to the African Diaspora more than we tend to think.
The new improved Nkrumah Park is expected to draw out inbound visitation from the Diaspora as well as Africans within the continent. However, it is important to note that across the continent, more white skins visit our destinations than our fellow Blacks. A careful observation of records will tell you that the tourism movement is still skewed away from diaspora Africans coming to the continent and vice versa.
Arrival at the African destination is European-heavy. As for intra-Africa tourism, the less we talk about it, the better. The hint of good news is that African countries such as Rwanda and South Africa have introduced visa-free access for Ghanaians. It is believed that gradually, more of such policies from us and other African countries would open up intra-African tourism.
Though the bulk of African countries have recognised tourism as a game changer to their economy, there’s still much left to be desired to make it a substantive industry. To date, marketing approaches largely ignore a growing and lucrative segment: young black travellers from around the world.
In the last few years, the so-called “black travel moment” has seen thousands of African Americans in particular go in search of experiences around the world. As the numbers of increasingly affluent African Americans have grown, more of them have been interested in connecting with contemporary urban Africa, not just safaris. Niche African American travel companies have existed for decades, but a new generation of Instagram-savvy startups is offering experiences curated to black culture, disrupting the tourism industry. December in Ghana attests to this.
Unfortunately, African tourism authorities aren’t tapping optimally into this growth. Where statistics are available, white baby boomers are the most frequent travellers to Africa, while China is quickly gaining. Yet, where African governments are creating new partnerships in China and India, specifically aimed at making travel easier, few are launching similar programmes with black travellers in mind. The South African Tourism Board, for example, markets extensively to black Americans. To some extent, Senegal substantially targets that market as well.
Part of the problem is marketing, and who has the budget to spend. More established tour operators have the money to buy an exhibition stall at global travel shows like the New York Times Travel Show and these are the operators who have historically marketed to white Europeans and Americans.
But the reality is that something is exciting happening with young African Americans showing a renewed interest in Africa, not seen since perhaps the 60s. African musical exports to Western entertainment such as Burner Boy, Wizkid, Black Sheriff and Davido are gently stoking this fire. Emerging tour operators could cater to this new travelling demographic but they would need support from state-run tourism agencies.
Leadership from these organisations in opening the market and providing strong leads would open up a huge window of opportunity for the segment. With no oversight or assistance, some small operators have spotted the potential of this trans-Atlantic curiosity and are exploiting it. Small, often informally organised groups, are filling the gap with so-called heritage trips, which promise to reunite African Americans with their long-lost ancestral villages, but leave a sense of disappointment or downright dishonesty.
Meanwhile, more and more Black Americans want to travel to the continent beyond sites like Senegal’s Goree island and Ghana’s Cape Coast and Elmina Castles but are put off by negative stereotypes or a lack of information. Disincentives range from cost, harassment and the perception that some Africans do not like Black Americans.
Diaspora tourism comes in many forms, including family visits, heritage or “roots” tourism to medical tourism, business travel and “birthright” tours. However, regardless of the purpose of their travels, diaspora members are generally more likely to infuse money into the local economy when travelling to their country of heritage than most international tourists.
Recent emigrants are familiar with the culture and may not need international agents to charge them higher rates in order to feel comfortable and at home. As a result, diaspora tourists are less likely to limit themselves to foreign-owned tourist enclaves that import their supplies and export their profits. Usually, diaspora tourists are more willing to stay in locally owned or smaller accommodations (including with friends and relatives), eat in local restaurants, and buy locally-produced goods than other international travellers.
While the euphoria over the refurbished Nkrumah Memorial Park is still on, it is time to consider face-lifting other related monuments that would interest the Diaspora market. If you are thinking about which ones should be next on the list, your guess is as good as mine.
