Jamaican Tourism Star Roy Page arrives in Ghana to advance community tourism development

Jamaican tourism entrepreneur Roy Page has arrived in Ghana, where he was welcomed at Accra International Airport in Accra as part of a strategic working visit aimed at advancing community-based tourism, promoting cultural heritage and strengthening cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean.

Page, Chief Executive Officer of Asterix Tourism Services Limited and Chairman of the Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN) – Villages as Businesses (VAB), is in Ghana to support the development of the Royal Community Tourism Development Programme (ROCOM), an initiative designed to transform traditional and rural communities into sustainable tourism destinations and centres of local economic activity.

The delegation was received by Prince Ambassador Dr. Tengol K. Kplemani, Ambassador for Africa for the CCTN and its Villages as Businesses initiative. Dr. Kplemani is spearheading efforts to translate the vision of community empowerment into practical development programmes, beginning with Paga in the Upper East Region.

Speaking to the media after Page’s arrival, Dr. Kplemani said the visit would provide the Jamaican tourism entrepreneur with first-hand experience of the communities involved and a better understanding of the opportunities, challenges and development needs that must be addressed to make the project successful.

He explained that the visit would focus on assessing the potential of Paga and identifying the key components required to establish a sustainable tourism development model that benefits local residents.

“He is here to have first-hand experience and understand the project we are putting together, which is the Royal Community Tourism Development Programme in Paga. He also wants to understand the community and identify the areas we need to work on to make it happen,” Dr. Kplemani said.

According to him, Page is expected to spend approximately two weeks in Ghana, with the possibility of extending his stay to gain a broader understanding of the country’s tourism potential. His engagements will include visits and discussions in northern Ghana and Accra, as well as a planned trip to the Volta Region.

Dr. Kplemani said the immediate objective of the visit was to prepare the ground for the launch of the Royal Community Tourism Development Programme in Paga.

“He is here for us to launch the Royal Tourism Development Programme in Paga. We want to develop a proper tourism system that will help develop our communities,” he stated.

Paga to Serve as Pilot Community
Paga has been identified as the pilot community for the initiative, which seeks to harness Ghana’s cultural heritage, traditional institutions, historical sites, indigenous knowledge and local enterprise opportunities to promote sustainable tourism and economic development.

The programme aims to create opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, investment and skills development while ensuring that local communities play an active role in managing and benefiting from their tourism resources.

Under the CCTN/VAB framework, communities are encouraged to build on their existing cultural and heritage assets to develop organised tourism experiences that can attract both domestic and international visitors.

The initial phase in Paga will explore the community’s tourism potential, infrastructure needs, heritage resources and opportunities for partnerships that can support long-term development.

The broader vision is to establish a practical model that can be replicated in other communities across Ghana and, eventually, throughout Africa.

Strengthening Africa–Caribbean Connections

Page’s visit also forms part of wider efforts to deepen historical, cultural and economic relationships between Africa and the Caribbean.

As co-founder, alongside Dr. Kplemani, of the Know Thyself Africa–Caribbean Connectivity Initiative, Page is contributing to efforts to strengthen connections between the two regions through tourism, cultural exchange, trade, investment and entrepreneurship.

The initiative seeks to encourage Africans and Caribbean people to explore their shared histories and cultural identities while building practical partnerships that create opportunities for communities on both sides of the Atlantic.

Discussions are also expected to support the development of heritage tourism experiences that reconnect members of the African diaspora with traditional institutions, kingdoms, chiefdoms and cultural communities across the continent.

Building Sustainable Community Tourism

The Ghana visit is expected to provide an opportunity for engagement with traditional authorities, community representatives, tourism stakeholders and potential development partners to explore how community-based tourism can contribute to sustainable livelihoods and local economic growth.

Senior Architect Jason Stone was also identified in the advance programme as part of the visiting delegation, with his participation expected to support discussions on spatial planning, infrastructure and heritage-sensitive development.

Through the Royal Community Tourism Development Programme, the partners hope to position communities not merely as tourism attractions, but as active participants in planning, managing and benefiting from tourism development.

The initiative reflects a broader commitment to preserving Ghana’s cultural identity while creating new economic opportunities for local people.

As the working visit gets underway, the focus will be on moving from vision to practical action, beginning with Paga and exploring how a community-led tourism model can contribute to development across Ghana and strengthen lasting partnerships between Africa and the Caribbean.