Some benefits of migrants' return visits to Ghana

Abstract

This paper explores some of the benefits associated with expatriates' temporary return visits to Ghana. These return trips to one's place of origin or birth, commonly referred to as 'visiting friends and relatives' (VFR) tourism, represent one of the major outcomes of the migration-tourism nexus. The benefits assessed in this study relate to donations, expenditures and investments made in Ghana by these visiting expatriates. Using two datasets derived from newspaper content analyses on donations made in Ghana by visiting non-resident Ghanaians, and the other a questionnaire interview schedule organised in the United Kingdom for resident Ghanaians on their expenditure and investment outlays during their most recent visit, a number of pertinent issues are investigated. Some of these issues relate to the quantity, timing and beneficiaries of donations, as well as their spatial distribution and their potential for poverty alleviation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.