African diaspora tourism - how motivations shape experiences

Abstract

Diaspora tourism offers potential benefits for emerging African destinations that are rarely associated from traditional mass tourism - preserving historic sites, creating a sense of place and increasing awareness of the dark history of slavery, particularly amongst upcoming generations. Noting the importance of managing diaspora tourism effectively, this in-depth empirical investigation identifies whether the motives of diaspora tourists explain their evaluations of Ghana as a destination, satisfaction, place attachment, and future travel intentions. The study concludes that four of the five motivational dimensions have a significant influence on evaluations of the diaspora homeland destination, with escape being the exception. The study contributes to knowledge by providing a comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of diaspora tourism.