Jamaica-based Countrystyle Community Tourism Network has selected Paga in Ghana’s Upper East Region for its first African pilot project, aiming to turn communities with tourism potential into centres for business, investment and cultural exchange.
The Royal Community Tourism Development Program is being introduced through the network’s Villages as a Business Model. The programme is designed to use local culture, heritage and tourism resources to create economic opportunities while strengthening links with the African diaspora.
The initiative, championed by the network’s African Ambassador, Dr Prince Tengol Klepmani, was formally launched on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Paga Town Park in the Kassena-Nankana West District.
Its launch followed feasibility studies and consultations with traditional authorities and residents to assess Paga’s suitability for community-based tourism. A Jamaican delegation attended the event, led by the network’s chairman, Roy Page, and Senior Architect Jason Stone. Traditional leaders, members of the community and the Paga Youth Movement were also present.
A central part of the programme will be the creation of identity centres showcasing the participating communities’ history, culture and heritage. The plans include Royal Truth Museums, which will preserve and present local stories and cultural identities.
The “Know They Self” initiative will also be introduced to encourage cultural and business exchanges between Paga and members of the African diaspora, particularly those in the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas.
About 100 Jamaicans are expected to travel to Paga in 2027. The visit is intended to help them reconnect with their African heritage and establish personal, cultural and business relationships with people in the local community.
During their time in northern Ghana, the Jamaican delegation paid homage to the Buipewura, Abdulai Jinapor II, Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area in the Gonja Kingdom and Vice President of the National House of Chiefs.
The delegation also met the Upper East Regional Minister, Akamugri Donatus Atanga, who pledged government backing for the project. It visited the Upper East Regional Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority, led by Joseph Appiagei, for discussions about the region’s tourism potential.
The group met other traditional authorities, including the Bongo Naba, Naba Baba Salifu Atamale Lemyaarum; the Navro-Pio, Pe Aneakwoa Balinia Adda Asagpaare II; and the host chief, Paga Pio Charles Awiah Awampaga II, Paramount Chief of the Paga Traditional Area.
To examine local tourism assets, the Ghana Tourism Authority’s Upper East Regional Office and the Paga Youth Movement took the delegation to the Pikworo Slave Camp, Paga’s two main crocodile ponds the Chief Pond and Zenga Pond the Ghana-Burkina Faso border and the Upper East Regional Museum.
The project aims to establish Paga as a destination for heritage tourism, diaspora engagement and community enterprise, using its cultural identity and attractions to create sustainable economic opportunities for local residents.
