Ghana's tourism surge brings wealth but adds pressure on everyday costs

The Guardian unveils in its article that Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo's appeal to the African diaspora to visit the country has brought both excitement and rising inflation. 

Since September, Effia Afful and her friends have been contacting restaurants and venues in Accra, trying to secure reservations for the Christmas season ahead of the crowds.

“You have to reserve your tables now because by the time you are ready, there will be no table left,” said Afful, a 30-year-old advertising executive.

In recent years, Ghana has become a popular destination in December, especially after President Nana Akufo-Addo’s 2018 appeal in Washington DC for members of the African diaspora to visit the continent. The "Year of Return," launched in 2019 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in Virginia, further accelerated the trend.

Members of Akufo-Addo’s cabinet have enthusiastically welcomed visitors, with one official describing them as "Josephs and Josephines who were sold into slavery and have come back home." However, while the influx of diaspora visitors has been celebrated, locals say the growing demand is contributing to rising inflation.

Since then, thousands, including high-profile celebrities like Chance the Rapper, Dave Chappelle, Erykah Badu, and Gabrielle Union, have flocked to Ghana, a country that has long considered itself a welcoming home for all Africans. Benin followed Ghana’s lead and launched a similar initiative.

“Ghana has always been big on tourism,” remarked David Clay, founder of the Accra-based entertainment and event consultancy, Gold River. “But the number of people coming in December skyrocketed,” he added. “The communication wasn’t just about coming to tour, but about reconnecting with your ancestors.”

In November, 524 settlers were granted citizenship.

“We love Ghana, we love the culture,” said Chaz Kyser, a 45-year-old entrepreneur and speaker from San Diego, whose relatives were among those granted citizenship. “We like being around Black people all day long and Black people in positions of power.”

The impact has been most noticeable in the entertainment and hospitality sectors: numerous concerts were announced, and videos of people partying until sunrise flooded social media. There has also been a surge in vegan restaurants, bars, and beach clubs. The popular Nigerian "gentleman’s club" Silver Fox even opened a branch in Accra, staffed with Colombian strippers.

“Even with cocktails, the dynamics have changed so much that now, when you go to an outlet, the guys are infusing local elements into the drinks,” said Kojo Aidoo, manager at Front Back, an Accra restaurant and gallery. Some returnees have even started their own businesses. Kyser, who has lived primarily in Ghana since 2016, ran Serenity House Ghana, an event center that also featured a bed-and-breakfast and a workspace for more than a year. 

The center employed 13 locals and hosted over 100 events. However, despite its popularity, it ran out of funds and had to shut down in March.

“People would call me from Barbados and say: ‘Oh, I heard about Serenity House,’” said Kyser. “It was gorgeous because I put so much intention and money into it, and closing it was heartbreaking. But it didn’t make sense to keep putting money into something where I wasn’t going to get a return for a long time.”

While many outside of Ghana view President Akufo-Addo’s call to the diaspora as a brilliant move, many within the country feel the experience has been bittersweet.

By Naila Huseynova