The roots tourism experience of diaspora Africans: A focus on the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles

Abstract

Ghana is one of the countries visited by diaspora Africans seeking to trace their roots and reconnect with their kith and kin. However, promoting roots tourism to the African diaspora is a delicate undertaking. There is a need to understand the factors which are of importance to the roots tourism experience as this will help to package the roots tourism product appropriately to meet the expectations of tourists. This study therefore sought to examine the factors that underlie the roots tourism experience of diaspora Africans in Cape Coast and Elmina in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey of 264 diaspora Africans within the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles was conducted using convenience sampling procedures. The study identified four factors that underlie the roots tourism experience of diaspora Africans namely, host–guest relationship, authenticity, emotion and appearance of the slave castles. It is recommended that the roots tourism product is repackaged to include welcome ceremonies, visits to communities, re-enactment of the slave trade and initiation ceremonies in order to improve host–guest interactions.

Keywords:

• diaspora African
• roots tourism
• African American
• slave castle
• Cape Coast
• Elmina

Notes on contributor

Ishmael Mensah Ph.D., CHE is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Cape Coast where he obtained his Ph.D. in tourism. He is also a certified hospitality educator. His research interests include environmental management in tourism and hospitality businesses, service quality and destination marketing.