Everybody is often expected to use their positions and experiences to influence others and also impact their society.
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Endeavor Bozoma Saint John has decided to use her achievements and influence to help boost tourism in her home country, Ghana.
She together with Boris Kodjoe invited 100 of their influential African-American friends to come and celebrate the full circle festival in Ghana.
The main purpose of the festival was to forge closer ties between Ghana, the African continent and those of African descent living elsewhere.
This got international media writing about Ghana. One media house CNN described Ghana as “the next big tourist destination.”
Reacting to the story the marketing rockstar, Bozoma Saint John said she got emotional when she read the articles after the full circle festival with her celebrity friends.
“I cried when I read this article... because it’s proof that individuals can make a difference.”
She narrated how the decision to bring the decision to bring her friends from the diaspora happened.
She said Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo asked her what she could do to change the image of Ghana.
“I knew without a doubt that I could use my marketing acumen that I’ve applied across my 20-year career at Pepsi, Beats, Apple, Uber and Endeavor, combined with the decades of visits to Ghana (with my friends in tow) to make a difference in the perception of the continent. AND WE DID THAT!”
“The #FullCircleFestival was born out of that request, and in the period of one badass holiday trip just this past December, Ghana leapt to the top of the charts in CNN Travel places to visit in 2019!!”
She also motivated others who follow her on social media saying everybody should keep in mind that they can make a difference.
“You are what it takes. You have the power. You can do it. Here’s to all those who are harness individual effort to make a collective change in the world.”
Tourism arrivals from Ghana according to the Ghana Tourism Development plan moved from 456,275 in 2000 to 837,501 in 2011. The receipts from the arrival also moved from 290 million dollars to 1.6 billion respectively and Ghana is looking for more.
The country projects to raise 8.3 billion dollars from tourism every year by 2027. Ghana’s 15-year tourism plan also aims at increasing the number of tourists from a million to eight million by the year 2027.
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