… Indeed, former President Nana Akufo-Addo specifically acknowledged her and Boris Kodjoe for using their influence to help attract people to Ghana during the Year of Return. …
… He cited Ghana’s Year of Return and Beyond the Return initiatives as examples of the country’s ability to attract members of the African diaspora, but stressed the need for sustained storytelling to maintain that momentum. …
… Widely known as Prince Anthony, he played an instrumental role in developing and promoting the flagship tourism campaign, Year of Return, which sought to attract the African diaspora and boost Ghana’s tourism sector. …
… According to her, the GTA would continue to preserve and promote Ghana’s heritage sites and authentic cultural experiences through initiatives such as the Year of Return, Beyond the Return and the Black Star Experience, while strengthening Ghana’s position as the leading destinat …
… Beneath them sit the diaspora-financed property market of Greater Accra; the investment surge the Year of Return unlocked in 2019; and a generation of returnee-built institutions — Databank, which helped build Ghana’s modern capital markets, founded by young Ghanaians home from W …
… The country’s Year of Return initiative launched in 2019 and the subsequent Beyond the Return programme strengthened engagement between Africa and the diaspora while drawing global attention to the legacies of slavery and the need for historical justice Mr Ablakwa, addressing par …
… The Year of Return marked 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were taken from the continent to Jamestown, Virginia, and it is called the global African family home. …
… It began formally with the Right of Abode provisions and accelerated with the Year of Return in 2019, which marked 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were taken from the continent. …
… December in GH emerged from the success of the Year of Return and Beyond the Return initiatives, which have positioned Ghana as a preferred destination for diaspora engagement, cultural reconnection and leisure tourism. …
A Ghanaian-American marketing executive's August 2026 wedding in Accra, attended by Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personalities and filmed for television, illustrates Ghana's under-exploited advantage: celebrities voluntarily associate themselves with Ghana through personal milestones, reaching millions of followers without the country having to pay for endorsements.
A Ghanaian-American marketing executive's August 2026 wedding in Accra, attended by Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personalities and filmed for television, illustrates Ghana's under-exploited advantage: celebrities voluntarily associate themselves with Ghana through personal milestones, reaching millions of followers without the country having to pay for endorsements.
Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey Santana has launched Tourism Destination Africa, a podcast designed to amplify African voices and reshape global perceptions of the continent's tourism industry through storytelling focused on tourism, travel and hospitality in Ghana and across Africa.
Prince Anthony Bart-Appiah, a GTA Governing Board member since 2025 and former British Army officer, died on 26 July at his Spintex residence. He was instrumental in developing the Year of Return campaign and served as CEO of Bridgezone, an agency promoting Africa to Western audiences.
A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra on Thursday to honour Ghana's founding president and millions of Africans who endured slavery, as part of the 2026 Emancipation Day celebration. The event, held on the theme 'Reconnecting Roots, Celebrating Freedom, Experience Ghana,' brought together government officials, diplomats, traditional authorities, diaspora representatives, and students to reaffirm calls for African unity, reparatory justice, and stronger ties with the diaspora.
An opinion piece argues that dual nationals serve as bridges for diaspora capital, remittances, and institution-building that have driven Ghana's economic development—citing examples like Databank and Ashesi University—and contends that excluding them would forfeit a critical source of development finance.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed confidence that the global campaign for reparatory justice for Africans is approaching a breakthrough, citing unprecedented international support since a landmark UN resolution on slavery. President Mahama, serving as African Union Champion for Reparatory Justice, convened a three-day High-Level Next Steps Conference in Accra bringing together heads of state, foreign ministers, legal experts, and diaspora representatives to deliberate on the next phase of the reparations agenda.
YouTuber Darren Watkins Jr. (IShowSpeed), with over 50 million YouTube subscribers and 135 million followers across platforms, revealed Ghanaian ancestry in January 2026 and was granted a Ghanaian passport and given the Ghanaian name Barima Kofi Akuffo at a ceremony in Akropong.
Ghana's Year of Return campaign in 2019, which marked 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were taken to Jamestown, Virginia, has evolved from heritage visits into sustained property ownership, reshaping who owns prime real estate in Accra. The follow-up "Beyond the Return" programme, launched in December 2019 and running to 2030, institutionalised the shift from temporary diaspora engagement to permanent settlement.
Ghana has pursued a sustained decade-long strategy to welcome the global African diaspora, beginning with Right of Abode provisions and accelerated by the 2019 Year of Return campaign, which drew over a million visitors and more than 3 billion dollars into the local economy. The article suggests this policy framework is now driving African American investment in Ghanaian real estate as a practical step following diaspora citizenship.
International tourism receipts fell from $4.83 billion in 2024 to $4.34 billion in 2025, even as Ghana recorded 1,306,962 international tourist arrivals, a 1.4% increase over 2024. Domestic tourism and tourism enterprises expanded, with licensed tourism businesses rising from 6,702 to 7,109.
International arrivals to Ghana in December 2025 rose to 141,186 from 126,791 in December 2024, an 11.35% increase. Overall, Ghana recorded 1,306,962 international tourist arrivals in 2025, representing a 1.4% increase over 2024.
Short-term rental platforms like Airbnb have transformed Accra's property market, particularly in areas like East Legon and Osu, creating economic benefits through tourism and property owner income but raising concerns about housing affordability and rental availability for residents amid rising rents and prices.
Ghana's newly passed Investment Promotion Authority Bill, 2026 (awaiting assent) introduces citizenship by investment into the country's legal framework for the first time, allowing the government to grant citizenship to foreign nationals in exchange for economic contributions. The framework delegates implementation to the Interior Minister, who must enact further legislation consistent with the Constitution.