Tourism
Trinidad & Tobago Moves Toward First-Ever Direct Flight to Ghana
Trinidad and Tobago is preparing to make aviation history. For the first time, the Caribbean nation is exploring a direct air route to Ghana, a move poised to reshape tourism, business and cultural exchange between the Caribbean and West Africa.
The announcement, confirmed by Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister Satyakama Maharaj on 20 November 2025, has generated significant buzz across the African and Caribbean travel industries.
Early indications point to a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s largest and most experienced long-haul carriers, for an initial charter test flight from Port of Spain to Accra.
If successful, this would mark the first nonstop route connecting the two regions—an aviation milestone with enormous implications for diaspora mobility and transatlantic tourism.
A Route Years in the Making
The idea of a Caribbean–West Africa direct flight is not new. Trinidad’s prime minister signaled progress in 2024, but tangible aviation planning only began to accelerate this year. According to Minister Maharaj, talks with Ghanaian authorities are now advanced and supported by real-world technical checks.
One recent test flight, he noted, demonstrated that a transatlantic journey between the Caribbean and West Africa is both feasible and time-efficient. The route added just 90 minutes compared to Trinidad–Toronto travel times—a detail that has boosted stakeholder confidence.
Today, travelers moving between Trinidad and Ghana often endure multi-stop, 30–40 hour itineraries through New York, London or Amsterdam. A direct route would instantly transform that experience.
Why This Matters for the Diaspora
Trinidad and Tobago is home to a sizeable population with direct ancestral connections to West Africa—especially Ghana—due to transatlantic slavery and later migration flows. Ghana’s Year of Return (2019) and Beyond the Return initiatives spiked diaspora travel interest, yet many Caribbean residents remain deterred by lengthy and expensive flight connections.
A nonstop Trinidad–Accra corridor could change that.
It would offer:
- Accessible heritage tourism for Afro-Caribbean travelers
- Two-way cultural exchange between music, festivals, art and cuisine scenes
- New circuits for multi-country African–Caribbean heritage tours
- Student and academic travel pathways between universities and cultural institutions
A route long imagined for emotional reasons may now be within operational reach.
Aviation Strategy Meets Cultural Diplomacy
For Ghana, the move aligns with efforts to diversify long-haul connectivity beyond Europe and the Middle East. For Trinidad and Tobago, it strengthens its emerging diplomatic and economic ties with Ghana, including a new bilateral investment agreement and growing CARICOM–Africa dialogue.
Minister Maharaj also highlighted a practical business link:
Republic Bank Trinidad operates around 40 branches in Ghana, creating a steady flow of corporate travel. Enhanced connectivity could make the Caribbean a strategic hub for West African business activity.
A direct link is not just about tourism—it’s about commerce, conferences, logistics and investment mobility.
Airlines Are Watching Closely
Ethiopian Airlines is a natural early partner. It:
- Has a long-haul-ready widebody fleet
- Operates multiple transatlantic routes
- Already connects Africa to South America
- Maintains reliability ratings that Caribbean authorities value
At the same time, Caribbean Airlines is reportedly studying the viability of weekly or biweekly service. Operational details—fleet range, bilateral approvals, fuel economics—remain under examination, but aviation experts say the project has entered a serious evaluation phase.
If a charter phase succeeds, scheduled service may follow.
And as other Africa–Americas routes have shown—Johannesburg–São Paulo, Lagos–New York, Nairobi–Washington—direct flights create their own demand, often exceeding forecasted numbers.
A New Tourism Chapter for Both Regions
For the African tourism market, a Trinidad–Ghana link opens new possibilities:
- West African festivals paired with Caribbean carnivals
- Dual-destination itineraries marketed to the global Black diaspora
- Wellness and culinary circuits linking jollof, callaloo and cacao cultures
- Stronger trade-tourism integrations
On the Caribbean side, Trinidad and Tobago is redefining its tourism identity around diaspora connection, business mobility and lifestyle-driven travel. A Ghana route reinforces that ambition, positioning Port of Spain as a gateway between the Caribbean and West Africa.
Travel creator @trinitravelgirl, reacting to the news in a viral update, captured the excitement:
“This is great news… not only will it boost tourism and trade, it will help cultural exchange and business. Trinidad can soon become the direct gateway between the Caribbean and West Africa.”
She also announced plans to travel to Accra to document the destination for Caribbean audiences—a sign of the growing engagement between content creators, tourism boards and the diaspora community.
What Comes Next?
In the coming months, observers expect:
- Confirmation of charter test schedules
- Bilateral aviation consultations
- Tourism board partnerships
- Market studies assessing demand from both regions
If all goes well, Trinidad and Tobago could soon sit at the center of a new transatlantic travel corridor, linking two regions bound by history but divided by geography.
The impact on tourism, business, heritage and identity could be transformative — a rare aviation development with economic weight and emotional resonance.
For the diaspora and global travelers seeking new cultural bridges, this may be one of the most promising routes to watch in 2026.
Taste GH
Nyoma: The Silky Yam Dish from Akuapim That Feels Like Home in a Bowl
Nyoma is a silky yam delicacy from Akuapim in Ghana’s Eastern Region, known for its smooth texture and gentle, nourishing preparation.
There’s a quiet joy that comes with discovering a dish you didn’t grow up eating, yet somehow feels familiar. That is the experience ‘Nyoma’, a lesser-known yam delicacy from Akuapim in Ghana’s Eastern Region, feels like. It is simple, comforting, and deeply thoughtful in its preparation.
That is how YouTuber TheRealDzifa felt when she first encountered Nyoma while travelling through the Akuapim, a place known not just for its hills but for food that respects patience and process. At first glance, Nyoma could easily be mistaken for mpotompoto. Look closer—and taste—and the difference becomes clear.
The cooking begins with fresh yams, peeled and gently cooked with tomatoes, onions, pepper, momone, kobi, and fish. Any fish works, really—local or imported—making it accessible even for those recreating it abroad. Once the vegetables soften, they’re blended into a rich base and returned to the pot. Seasoning and salt follow, then time does its work.
Read Also: Okro Stew: How to Prepare the Ghanaian Stew That Stretches, & Survives
Here’s where Nyoma earns its reputation. When the yam softens, part of it is removed and ground smoothly in an earthenware bowl, gradually mixed with its own broth and a touch of palm oil. The grinding continues until the texture is silky, almost custard-like. No chunks. No shortcuts.
Served with the light, flavourful broth, Nyoma is intentionally gentle—perfect for babies, elders, or anyone craving something warm that goes down easy. Unlike mpotompoto, this dish is about smoothness, care, and balance.
Tourism
“Ghana Is a Portal for Healing Black People”: Psychologist Dr. Nicole Cammack Shares Emotional Reflection After Visit
Renowned clinical psychologist and mental health advocate Dr. Nicole L. Cammack has described Ghana as “one of those portals for healing for Black people.”
Sharing a deeply personal and widely resonating reflection following her recent trip to the country with her daughter, she explained that her time in Ghana confirmed a sense of safety, cultural reconnection, and emotional restoration she had not fully experienced in other African nations.
“Ghana is one of those portals to healing,” she said in a heartfelt social media video. “That sense of safety, the people, the lessons learned, visiting places where our ancestors were — the dungeons — and then things like drumming, naming ceremonies, and connections… it’s just a portal to healing.”
She recounted powerful moments of affirmation from Africans across the continent: an Ethiopian pharmacist who hugged her and her daughter while administering vaccines, saying, “You’re going to love it. The Ghanaian people are special,”; her daughter’s pediatrician reacting with excitement, and numerous clients and friends who predicted the trip would be transformative.
“Even if they were from other countries in Africa, people were so excited about me visiting Ghana,” she noted.
Dr. Cammack, a licensed clinical psychologist, speaker, and CEO of Black Mental Wellness, Corp. and Healing Generations Psychological Services, holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for School Mental Health.
Her clinical and research work focuses on mental health issues specific to Black communities, cultural stigma reduction, and systemic factors affecting Black wellness.
Her Ghana experience aligns with the enduring appeal of the country as a site of return and healing for the global African diaspora.
Initiatives such as the 2019 Year of Return and ongoing Beyond the Return campaign have drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors of African descent, many citing similar feelings of emotional reconnection at heritage sites like Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, as well as through cultural immersion in drumming, naming ceremonies, and community interactions.
Dr. Cammack invited others to share their experiences:
“If you’ve been to Ghana or other West African countries, did you feel that same sense of healing? Or did you have a completely different experience?”
Her message arrives at a time when mental health awareness within Black communities is gaining global momentum, with increasing recognition of travel to ancestral homelands as a form of emotional and psychological healing.
Taste GH
Okro Stew: How to Prepare the Ghanaian Stew That Stretches, Survives, and Still Feels Like Home
In every Ghanaian kitchen, there is one pot that teaches patience, faith, and the art of trusting the process: okro stew.
In every Ghanaian kitchen, there is one pot that teaches patience, faith, and the art of trusting the process: okro stew. It is the only stew that can stretch like your life plans, wobble halfway through, threaten embarrassment, and still come together beautifully in the end.
The making of okro stew begins with a calm hand and a knowing smile. Palm oil warms slowly in the pot, turning a deep sunset red before sliced onions hit the surface and release that unmistakable home smell. Then comes momone and kako; the bold, unapologetic ingredients that announce themselves before you even lift the lid. They are not shy, and okro stew would be incomplete without their attitude.
The pepper mix goes into the pot. And when that simmers for a while, the fresh okro is chopped with intention, not haste. Some prefer it fine, others chunky, but everyone agrees it must be ready to draw. Seasoning follows – not too much, just enough to remind you that balance is a skill.
Read Also: The 6-hour Shake: Why Ghana’s Bumpy Roads Are the Ultimate Travel Test
As the pot simmers, the stew thickens, stretches, and transforms. This is where the magic happens. One stir turns into many. You watch closely. You wait. You hope.
Okro stew doesn’t stand alone. It invites companions. Banku, eba, even plain rice rise to the occasion, happily carrying the stew’s silky weight. You see, okro stew is more than food. It’s a reminder that some things, like home, may stretch, but they never break.
Watch the video below for a pictorial version of the preparation:
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