Why Is Ghana The Fastest-Growing Travel Destination In Africa?

It’s no secret that Ghana has been high on my bucket list for some time.

My IG followers can attest to that, I’m sure. My constant coverage of this incredible country situated in the centre of the world has been consistent. But the question is, can you blame me? As an avid heritage tourist who loves to visit various UNESCO sites worldwide, I feel a trip to the Ashanti Kingdom of Kumasi Ghana is the missing piece on my quest for self-enlightenment. In 2019, Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo invited all Africans in the diaspora to visit their home continent to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, making Ghana the African nation to pioneer this movement. 

Afrochella festival is a festival that not only celebrates the diverse culture of African creatives and entrepreneurs, it’s also designed to be a vehicle to attract descendants of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to return to our Ancestral home. I feel the power of a warm welcome is significantly undervalued. Many of us in the diaspora deal with feeling unwelcome where we live, so a celebration like Afrochella is attractive to us, seeking a place in this world where we belong, where we can connect and grow together. There’s no better place than the motherland to unite and connect. I can’t help but respect this country’s efforts to offer a much-needed social aspect of heritage tourism. A more full, enriched travel experience was missing in the Black Travel Movement. I find that we tend to travel or go on a vacation as a means of relaxation, but we need a holiday where we’re healing.

Ghana is the fast-growing travel destination in Africa for a reason. As more travellers seek unique travel experiences that feel more authentic, Ghana will continue to grow. If you plan on biting the bullet and booking your trip to Ghana, here is a list of cultural heritage sites you must visit:

Assin Manso Ancestral Slave River

Children stand near a door at the Assin Manso river, where slaves bathed for the last time before being shipped across the Atlantic in centuries past, in Assin Manso, Ghana August 11, 2019. Picture taken August 11, 2019. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko – RC1E972C3CC0

Cape Coast Castle ( Door of No Return)

Cape Coast castle (Door of no return), Ghana | Wikipedia ZSM

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial

The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and memorial park | Twitter – Ghanaspotlight

Elmina Castle

Fort São Jorge da Mina, Ghana, 2009 | Francisco Anzola (CC BY 2.0)

African Naming ceremony ( Emancipation Tour)

First Bath of Return | visitGhana