Airbnb Promotes Travel to Ghana for Year of the Return

This June 19, Airbnb is commemorating Juneteenth, which recognizes the end of slavery in the United States. In support of the NAACP Jamestown to Jamestown pilgrimage, Airbnb will sponsor several hosts from the US to travel to Ghana. This trip continues the collaboration between Airbnb and the NAACP and supports the company’s commitment to cultural exchange and creating a world where anyone can belong anywhere.

In 2017, Airbnb and NAACP joined forces on a national partnership. The purpose of the partnership is to promote the economic benefits of home sharing within communities of color, as well as employment opportunities and supplier diversity efforts. Since then, the partnership has launched in Miami, Los Angeles, California’s Bay Area, Atlanta and Seattle. In the latter half of 2019, the partnership will focus its efforts in two more US cities.  

In recognition of 400 years since the documented start of slavery in 1619, the Ghanaian government declared 2019 as the “Year of the Return” to bring together Africans on the continent with those in the the Diaspora. The NAACP is hosting a series of events in the US and a trip to Ghana as a part of the “Year of Return” commemoration. Airbnb will sponsor five US based hosts from the local partnership cities who will participate in the cultural exchange.   

Earlier this year, Airbnb listed Accra, Ghana as one of the top destinations for 2019. We are excited to be connecting hosts across borders and to promote healthy tourism and economic empowerment in Ghana. Over the past few years, we have been working closely with the NAACP and this initiative is part of our on-going partnership with one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations.

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