Move over Lagos. Accra is campaigning hard to bring
international tourism and business to its verdant shores.



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Outside Accra’s shiny new Kotoka International Airport is a
fleet of 30 black Land Cruisers waiting for a motley group of 60
African-Americans gripped by wanderlust. 



The airport, birthed from the partnership between Ghana
Airports Company Limited (GACL) and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), now
processes around 1,250 passengers per hour with a goal of welcoming some six
million passengers each year to the leafy West African country, according to
Joshua Otchere of Ghana Immigration Service. 



This is Ghana’s attempt to become the hub of sub-regional
travel by distinguishing itself from the likes of Lagos. 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="920" height="612" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39165" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana1.png 920w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana1-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana1-600x399.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana1-768x511.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px" /><figcaption>Women sell fish at a thriving market in Accra. Picture: Getty</figcaption></figure>



“We are now offering better services, faster turnaround
times from airlines and a world-class experience when traveling, which we
believe will compete with the rest of the world along with great retail
spaces,” says Otchere.



It is a fitting welcome to the star-studded group of
visitors including international supermodel Naomi Campbell and actors Idris
Elba, Anthony Anderson and Rosario Dawson among many others. Ghana, once a
major hub for the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to the 19th
centuries, has several historical ties with the USA. 



Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo declared and formerly
launched ‘Year of Return Ghana 2019’ for Africans in the diaspora in Washington
D.C., in September last year with the aim of uniting Africans on the continent
with their brothers and sisters abroad. Tasked with playing her role to make
that vision a reality is fellow Ghanaian and Chief Marketing Officer of William
Morris Endeavor, Bozoma Saint John. 



“I had an audience with the president after meeting him at
an event by the Africa-America Institute in New York where we were both
presented with awards. During my acceptance speech, I spoke about Ghana and
when I came back to Ghana, he asked me what I was going to do to represent
Ghana in the diaspora,” says John. 



“He said he was proud of my achievements but what am I going
to do specifically to help promote Ghana. I took it to heart and I thought
about all the friends that I have invited to Ghana throughout the years and all
of those who have changed their opinions about what Ghana is and sometimes it
was only after a week. So I knew how powerful that process was,” she says.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="407" height="558" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ghana2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39166" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ghana2.png 407w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ghana2-300x411.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ghana2-219x300.png 219w" sizes="(max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" /><figcaption>Traditional dancers in Ghana. Picture: Getty</figcaption></figure></div>



The former Chief Brand Officer of Uber immediately reached
out to Hollywood star Boris Kodjoe to brainstorm on how they could get more
people to join them to discover Ghana and the Full Circle Festival was born.



“Boris and I thought about who we could invite. It wasn’t
about just getting the biggest names, it was about inviting our friends who
have influence both in Hollywood and in the business circles who can come to
Ghana and really enjoy the experience,” says John.



The country came fourth out of 19 countries in CNN’s list of
top places to visit in 2019. In addition, there have been massive
infrastructure projects, digital skills training for millions as well as
substantial investments into the startup ecosystem. 



“Google is setting up its Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
in Accra and that shows just how far we have come as an economy and country,”
says Franklin Cudjoe, President of Imani Centre for Policy and Education, a
leading Ghanaian think-tank.



This year, Ghana is attempting to ramp up its tourism
status. The initiative is set to attract some half a million tourists, with
about 350,000 coming in from North America, while the rest will come from the
Carribean, South America and Europe, according to Ghana Tourism Authority
(GTA).



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="917" height="605" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39167" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana4.png 917w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana4-300x198.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana4-600x396.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana4-768x507.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 917px) 100vw, 917px" /><figcaption> In the middle, Chief Marketing Officer of William Morris Endeavor, Bozoma Saint John. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure>



“We expect a lot of networking and business opportunities to
come out of this unique initiative especially between Ghana and the USA that
will generate revenues for local industries in Ghana,” says Akwasi Agyeman,
Chief Executive Officer of GTA.



For the attendees of the recent Full Circle Festival,
however, the experience is somewhat more about a deeper spiritual connection.
Activities included a visit to the historic Cape Coast castle as well as
tourist hotspots like the Royal Senchi resort and a trip to Lake Volta,
Africa’s largest artificial reservoir.



“It is hard to explain what it feels like when you spend time in a place where double-consciousness doesn’t exist, the freedom to just be, the peace of mind and to be closer to your ancestors’ spirit than you have ever been. 



 “To feel the dreadful weight inside the slave dungeons and then the surge of empowerment when you step back into your life with a newfound purpose and 400 years of collective survival energy behind you. To connect with your royal heritage and to see the beauty in your culture that can never be denied. To eat the food and dance all night and connect with people who carry such effortless joy and pride, I simply love Ghana,” says actor Kodjoe.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="461" height="566" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39168" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana3.png 461w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana3-300x368.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ghana3-244x300.png 244w" sizes="(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" /><figcaption>The Full Circle Festival at the Labadi Beach Ghana. Picture:Getty</figcaption></figure></div>



It has been 400 years since the first enslaved Africans
arrived in North America. For many, the impact of the slave trade cannot be
overlooked. 



For John, this is the beginning of a journey of
enlightenment for her friends in Hollywood. It is time to play her part for
Ghana by bringing awareness to the destination as a tourist hotspot for the US.




As CMO of one of the biggest talent agencies in the US, her
opinion certainly holds weight. And there is no shortage of passion when it
comes to the country that seems to have now captured the attention of corporate
America.

Tag: Bozoma Saint John

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

IN PICTURES | Ghana Earning Its Stars And Stripes Through Tourism