A view of Accra, Ghana’s capital city, where Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and the U.S. Virgin Islands delegation will meet with government and business leaders to strengthen trade, tourism, and technology partnerships. Photo: Getty Images

The delegation will include senior representatives from the Department of Tourism, the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (VIEDA), and the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (viNGN). Governor Bryan said the mission is aimed at producing tangible results for Virgin Islanders while deepening cultural and historical connections between the territory and Africa.

“Ghana is not just a heritage destination for Virgin Islanders. It is a potential partner for trade, tourism, finance and technology,” Governor Bryan said. “This delegation is about turning shared history into shared opportunity.”

The governor noted the importance of balancing historical ties with Denmark, the former colonial power of the US Virgin Islands, with an equally deliberate focus on West Africa — the ancestral home of many Virgin Islanders. “We have sent official delegations to Denmark for years. That history matters and we will continue to honor it, but we also must be just as intentional about our ties to West Africa, where so many of our family ancestry is from. Both stories are part of who we are,” he said.

'Working visit'

Mr Bryan described the upcoming trip as a “working visit” designed to achieve practical, mutually beneficial outcomes. “This is a working trip. Tourism will talk routes and experiences. The EDA will pursue investment and free zone opportunities. viNGN will explore digital connectivity and fintech,” he explained. “We want partnerships that put Virgin Islanders to work and create value in both directions.”

He added that the visit represents a continuation of his administration’s commitment to linking cultural heritage with economic development. “When we recognised African Heritage Week and African Liberation Day early in my tenure, we made a promise to connect our culture to our future,” Governor Bryan said. “This visit keeps that promise by linking education, culture and business with concrete actions.”

While in Ghana, the delegation is expected to hold a series of high-level meetings and cultural engagements. The agenda includes discussions with leaders from the Ghana Free Zones Authority, engagements with Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, meetings with senior officials of the Bank of Ghana, and a visit with His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana.

The group will also meet with executives at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, tour Osu Castle, and engage with business and community leaders in the Osu neighborhood. Officials said this outreach builds upon longstanding “people-to-people” connections between the Virgin Islands and Ghana, developed through years of cultural exchanges and heritage observances.

Formalising partnerships

According to Government House, Mr Bryan's visit follows years of efforts to recognise and celebrate the territory’s African roots. In 2019, just months after taking office, he issued an executive order designating May 25 as African Heritage Week and African Liberation Day in the Virgin Islands. Since then, Virgin Islands delegations and cultural groups have participated in Emancipation commemorations and related exhibits in Ghana, underscoring the shared historical and cultural links between the two regions.

The governor’s upcoming trip, officials said, seeks to build upon those foundations by formalising partnerships that combine cultural exchange with business and investment opportunities, expanding the territory’s reach beyond traditional markets.