THE YEAR OF RETURN

African-American visitors flocking to Ghana as it marks the "Year of Return" to remember the 400th anniversary of the first slave ship landing in Virginia. The West African nation is banking on the commemorations to give a major boost to the number of tourist arrivals as it encourages the descendants of slaves to "come home". Cape Coast Castle, 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the capital Accra, is a major magnet for those visiting The white-washed fort lined with cannons was one of dozens of prisons studding the Atlantic coast where slaves were held before their journey to the New World. A string of prominent African-Americans have headed to the site this year to mark the anniversary since the first slave landing in 1619. Ghana, one of the continent's most stable democracies, has long pitched itself as a destination for African-Americans to explore their heritage and even settle permanently. In 2009 President Barack Obama visited with his family and paid homage at the Cape Coast Castle.