In the middle of a day devoted to strengthening economic and cultural ties between the Virgin Islands and Africa, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and Ghana Tourism Authority CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto paused Tuesday to formalize what both described as a relationship years in the making.
The two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Ghana Tourism Authority, a step Bryan characterized as both symbolic and practical — anchoring a broader effort to reconnect the territory with West Africa through tourism, trade, and diaspora engagement.
“This is really the beginning of a great relationship,” Bryan said during a brief press conference held within Tuesday’s USVI–Africa Mini Summit at the Westin Frenchman’s Reef Resort. “We wanted to document this moment and solidify the ties we already have.”
Houadjeto, part of a delegation in the territory this week, framed the agreement as part of a deeper reconnection between people long separated by history. According to Bryan’s Deputy Chief of Staff Kevin Rodriguez, a key organizer, the delegation paid for their own flights and hotel rooms, while the V.I. government covered the cost of the summit, which was about $11,000.
“Every Black person comes from Africa — and especially you, this is your original home,” she told attendees. “When I look around this room, I see sisters, cousins, brothers. The features, the warmth — it is the same.”
Houadjeto recalled meeting Bryan in Ghana during an earlier visit by a Virgin Islands delegation, where discussions first turned to what the two destinations might build together through tourism. Ghana, she said, views tourism not simply as visitor arrivals, but as a tool for community development and investment.
“What we do in Ghana is build tourism around communities,” she said. “We help people near heritage sites become stakeholders — opening hotels, restaurants, car rental companies, craft businesses. When communities are part of tourism, they protect it.”
That approach, she said, aligns closely with what she believes the Bryan administration is pursuing in the Virgin Islands: expanding tourism in ways that create broader participation and long-term benefit.
Houadjeto also emphasized Ghana’s interest in exchange programs, creative industries, and cultural storytelling — including correcting narratives about the transatlantic slave trade that she said have long been shaped by colonial perspectives.
“Our stories were written for us,” she said. “But when you come to Ghana, you understand who we are — and you understand that we are each other’s keepers.”
Bryan, speaking after Houadjeto, said tourism has become the natural entry point for deepening ties between the Virgin Islands and Africa, describing it as “the greatest industry in the world” and the foundation for broader economic relationships.
“Tourism is what we are good at,” he said. “It’s where relationships begin — by coming to see what’s there.”
He described Ghana as “the doorway to West Africa” and said the similarities he encountered during his visit — from physical features to culture to diversity — challenged assumptions about Africa as distant or unfamiliar.
“I thought it would be something different,” Bryan said. “But Ghana looks like the Caribbean. It looks like this room.”
Bryan also returned to a theme he raised earlier in the summit, speaking about the Middle Passage — the transatlantic route of enslavement — and arguing that present-day partnerships could create a different kind of passage linking Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States.
“If you go to the African American Museum of History, you start in Africa, move through the Caribbean, and then arrive in the United States,” he said. “But there’s a gap — we disappear for centuries. We have a responsibility to help tell that story.”
Following the signing, reporters pressed Bryan on what tangible outcomes could be expected — and how quickly.
“We want things to happen quickly, but this is about creating a tradition,” Bryan said. “This is a fact-finding mission for Ghana, and from that will come investors, banks, and partners looking for solutions.”
He cautioned against expecting immediate announcements, saying meaningful outcomes are more likely later this year.
“I don’t expect things to happen before at least the second quarter,” he said. “But yes — I expect deals to be done this year.”
Speaking to the Source afterward, Bryan said the timing of the partnership was intentional, shaped by shifting global trade patterns, rising tariffs, and growing interest from investors looking beyond traditional markets. He described the current moment as one in which governments and businesses are reassessing where and how they do business — and how quickly they can move.
“The water is moving fast,” Bryan said, pointing to the pace of change in global commerce. He said the Virgin Islands cannot afford to move slowly as other regions establish trade routes and partnerships with Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. “If we create the relationships now — the documents, the understanding, the trust — there will be a demand to continue along this path.”
Bryan said the administration is focused on positioning the territory as a competitive entry point for international business, particularly for companies that may not require a physical presence to operate. He noted that digital commerce and remote investment models allow businesses to establish operations without immediate relocation, reducing barriers tied to immigration restrictions and rising costs.
“Digital cash moves anywhere,” Bryan said. “You can set up a business and start doing what you need to do without ever stepping foot in the country.”
He added that scale matters when looking at African markets, noting that the Virgin Islands does not need large numbers to see meaningful impact. “When you’re talking about countries with tens or hundreds of millions of people, we don’t need huge wins,” he said. “We only need a few to make a real difference.”
He added part of the work ahead will involve removing barriers to doing business in the Virgin Islands, including examining how quickly companies can be established and whether processes can be streamlined to compete globally.
“If someone wants to set up a Virgin Islands business in 24 hours, that should be our goal,” he said.
He also compared the territory’s pace to other Caribbean nations that have already built strong trade relationships with Africa and Asia, arguing that the Virgin Islands must move faster to avoid falling behind.
“We are behind,” Bryan said. “But we don’t have to stay there.”
The memorandum signing came amid the day’s wider summit focused on trade, technology, tourism, and cultural exchange between the Virgin Islands, Ghana, and other African nations. Throughout, speakers emphasized that the effort was not intended as a single event, but as the start of sustained engagement.
Houadjeto echoed that sentiment as the press conference concluded, saying the agreement would open the door to continued meetings and more detailed collaboration.
“After signing this MOU, we will sit down and talk about exactly what we can do together,” she said. “Ghana has a lot to share — and we are ready.”
