Group Tourism as a Tool for Promoting Collective Action and Community Building
In the age of globalization and digital connectivity, where virtual communities flourish, the African diaspora is finding powerful new ways to connect not just online but in person. Group travel, particularly heritage-based travel to Africa, is emerging as a potent force for not only cultural reconnection but also collective action and long-term community building.
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More than a leisurely excursion, group travel among diasporans represents a deliberate and often transformative journey into identity, solidarity, and shared purpose.
In recent years, growing numbers of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, and Black Europeans have organized or joined collective travel experiences that return them to ancestral lands, especially West African nations such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal.
These trips serve as memory projects, collaborative healing journeys, and critical platforms for discussing mutual challenges and charting solutions that transcend national borders.
For many, the power of walking the same paths as their ancestors, sharing stories in groups, and collaborating with local communities becomes a vehicle for political consciousness, economic networking, and cultural resilience.
Reviving Memory Through Shared Experience
In 2019, Ghana’s Year of Return drew global attention by inviting the African diaspora to commemorate 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. Over one million visitors traveled to Ghana that year, many participating in group tours that included guided historical narratives, community forums, and cultural immersion.
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This initiative, supported by Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, served as a blueprint for how group travel can strengthen diaspora ties while also stimulating dialogue, economic development, and cultural preservation.
Group travel becomes a space of shared memory-making. When individuals walk through the Door of No Return in Elmina Castle together or learn drumming with local artists in Accra, they don’t just consume culture; they co-create meaning with each other.
The Door of No Return
For many, the “Door of No Return” at Elmina Castle in Ghana is a haunting symbol of the brutal journey that millions of enslaved Africans were forced to endure. This grim passageway marks the point where captives were taken from their homeland, never to return, as they were shipped across the Atlantic to a life of unimaginable hardship.
Located on the castle’s seaside, it’s here where the boats waited to carry them into the abyss of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Today, this powerful site serves as a stark reminder of one of history’s darkest chapters, urging us to reflect on the resilience of those who endured and the legacy that remains.
As sociologist Paul Gilroy noted in his foundational text The Black Atlantic, the transatlantic experience of Blackness involves a “counterculture of modernity” that spans continents. Group travel, therefore, becomes a vehicle for reviving those transnational cultural links in an embodied and intentional way.
Collective Action Through Group Travel Networks
Group travel often leads to tangible forms of collective action. Diasporans returning through travel programs often partner with local communities to launch projects that address shared concerns: education, environmental sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
Organizations such as Birthright AFRICA, which offers free educational travel to Africa for youth of African descent, have inspired young leaders to launch initiatives after returning from their trips.
In Nigeria, the rise of return travel has fueled collaborative projects between diasporan visitors and local cooperatives. According to a 2023 report from Nigeria’s National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, group tours that include business forums and village visits have catalyzed joint ventures in agribusiness, fashion, and creative industries.
Already, over 23 agencies across Africa have expressed interest in partnering with us, showing just how powerful the potential for growth and connection is. But this is more than just travel. It’s about reconnecting people of African descent with their roots, and this is at the very heart of what WeDiasporan stands for—strengthening cultural ties and empowering communities through shared knowledge and collaboration.
It’s important to note that these connections aren’t limited to business. Advocacy and activism often emerge from these encounters. In the aftermath of the Year of Return, for example, a pan-African conference on reparations and restorative justice was co-hosted by diasporan and local leaders in Ghana.
The participants, many of whom met through group travel experiences, collaborated on resolutions calling for historical accountability and policy change across both Africa and the West.
Healing and Mental Wellness Through Community Travel
The psychological impact of group travel for diasporans cannot be overstated. For many, returning to Africa is not simply a trip; it is a deeply emotional and spiritual act. Shared experience in a group setting provides emotional support, validation, and collective healing.
Scholars such as Dr. Joy DeGruy, who developed the theory of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, have argued that reconnecting with African cultural practices and histories is essential for collective healing in diasporic communities.
Dr. Joy DeGruy is a leading authority in the fields of social work, psychology, and racial healing, with an extensive academic and professional background. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication, a Master’s in Social Work (MSW), a Master’s in Clinical Psychology, and a PhD in Social Work Research.
For over two decades, Dr. DeGruy served as an Assistant Professor at Portland State University’s School of Social Work, and she is currently the President and CEO of Joy DeGruy Publications Inc. (JPD).
Dr. DeGruy’s groundbreaking research delves into the complex intersection of racism, trauma, violence, and the historical legacy of American chattel slavery. With over thirty years of hands-on experience in the field, she has become a respected figure in addressing intergenerational and historical trauma.
Her work centers on helping individuals and communities understand the mental and emotional impact of systemic oppression, and she leads workshops on topics such as mental health, social justice, and evidence-based models for healing.
Through her research and training, Dr. DeGruy has illuminated the path to healing from trauma, particularly in the African diaspora. Her work is not just about awareness; it’s about creating tangible strategies for individuals and communities to move toward healing—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
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By integrating community travel into these healing practices, Dr. DeGruy’s work encourages collective recovery, where shared experiences within supportive communities help to address historical wounds and foster a collective sense of well-being.
Group travel, when designed with intention, creates space for communal reflection. Retreats such as “Healing While Black” or “Diaspora Dialogues” embed ancestral ceremonies, storytelling circles, and mental health workshops into the travel itinerary.
These practices promote cultural affirmation and communal resilience, reinforcing the message that the diaspora is not fragmented, but interconnected and empowered.
Creating New Infrastructures for Global Black Unity
Infrastructure—both physical and symbolic—is often one of the most lasting legacies of group travel within the African diaspora. These journeys are no longer just about sightseeing; they’re about building bridges, forging partnerships, and leaving tangible impacts.
Diasporan groups frequently invest in local projects such as schools, libraries, or cultural centers during their travels, creating lasting change in the communities they visit.
In Senegal, for instance, a collective of African American travelers helped expand a girls’ coding program after a visit in 2022. Their support didn’t end with funding—it sparked a transatlantic mentorship network connecting tech-savvy youth in Dakar and Atlanta, proving how travel can evolve into long-term collaboration and innovation.
This spirit of connection and empowerment is echoed in the work of Obehi Ewanfoh, founder of WeDiasporan. Through his podcast The Obehi Podcast, he amplifies the voices of African diasporans and advocates for reconnection with the mother continent.
His mission aligns closely with initiatives like Project DMTE: The Diaspora Memorial & Tourism Exchange—a program that is far more than just travel. DMTE is a transformative experience that helps individuals rediscover their heritage, build community, and spark collective healing through cultural exchange.
As these in-person experiences grow, so too does a parallel digital infrastructure. WhatsApp groups, virtual roundtables, and online platforms often emerge in the aftermath of group trips, helping participants stay connected and continue their collaborations.
A 2021 study by the African Union’s Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO) affirmed that these digital follow-ups are essential for turning travel moments into sustainable, cross-continental relationships that empower communities both at home and abroad.
In this way, group travel becomes a catalyst, not just for discovery, but for lasting unity, development, and a shared future rooted in history, pride, and purpose.
Policy Impacts and the Role of Governments
Governments are increasingly recognizing the political potential of group travel as a development tool. Ghana’s Beyond the Return campaign (2020–2030) builds on the Year of Return to create long-term engagement with the diaspora through investment summits, cultural festivals, and ancestral reconnection tours.
The initiative is supported by the Ghana Tourism Authority and includes structured programs for group travel that foster dialogue and mutual growth.
Other nations, such as Sierra Leone and Benin, have also initiated citizenship pathways for diasporans who return through heritage tours. These policies represent a shift in how African governments see the diaspora, not merely as tourists, but as partners in shaping national futures.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
While group travel offers transformative potential, it is not without complications. Critics warn against the commodification of African history and the potential for “poverty travel” if visits are not conducted with ethical guidelines and community participation.
It is essential that tour operators and diaspora organizers prioritize dignity, mutual respect, and equitable exchange.
Local voices must be central in crafting the narratives shared during tours. As Nigerian cultural historian Dr. Tayo Okusanya notes, “If the diaspora is to rediscover its roots, those roots must be spoken for by those who have tended them.”
Collaborative storytelling, community consultation, and long-term commitments are necessary to ensure that group travel uplifts rather than exploits.
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Conclusion: Building a Shared Future Through Travel
Group travel, when rooted in cultural respect and strategic intention, has the power to activate more than nostalgia; it builds the scaffolding for collective futures. It transforms participants from tourists into connectors, advocates, and collaborators. Whether through the founding of schools, the launch of pan-African startups, or healing rituals at sacred sites, these journeys spark a commitment to shared growth.
For the African diaspora, whose history is marked by separation and scattering, group travel becomes an act of defiance and of return. It is a way of saying: we remember, we are still here, and we are stronger together.
As more governments, institutions, and grassroots collectives recognize the multifaceted power of group travel, the vision of a globally unified and mobilized African diaspora inches closer to reality, one collective journey at a time.
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