Giovonna Bennett booked her hotel in Accra back in March for an end-of-the-year vacation in Ghana. It’s the time of year in West Africa known as Detty December. Her 11-day stay cost less than $600.
“I planned ahead because I knew how fast places fill up that time of year,” she said.
Then, at the beginning of November, the hotel canceled her entire reservation a month before her trip. She said there was no explanation or apology. Adding insult to injury, Bennett saw the rates for the same room at the hotel more than quadruple to over $4,000 during the Detty December festivals. Fortunately, she was able to rebook somewhere else. But Bennett, who had been planning her dream trip for months, was understandably frustrated.
“I feel like they wronged me because they knew they could make more money from someone who didn’t book as early as I did,” she tells Travel Noire.
Her experience is not an anomaly. In fact, there are growing conversations on social media, podcasts, and everywhere in between about whether Detty December is overhyped and overpriced, and whether people are losing the plot.
The Appeal: How Detty December Became So Big Over The Years
Sleepless nights and endless parties are only a few ways to describe Detty December. With a playful alteration of the word “dirty,” Detty December has grown into a massive cultural phenomenon at the end of the year. What used to be the time of year when families would return home to reunite with relatives and rest has transformed into a series of back-to-back parties, concerts, festivals, and art and fashion shows.
The global rise of Afrobeats has, in part, contributed to the growing interest in Detty December, along with marketing aimed at diaspora returnees. Ghana ran its successful “Year of Return” in 2019, followed by the “Beyond the Return” launched in 2020, and then the “December in GH” tourism campaign.
Lastly, but certainly not least, is the power of social media. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have amplified events such as Afro Nation, AfroFuture, and Pulse Fiesta.
Price Gouging And Rising Costs Fuel Growing Fatigue
Detty December’s growing popularity has pushed travel and lodging costs to unprecedented levels, leaving travelers grappling with price gouging and increasing fatigue.
When analyzing popular routes in Google Flights data for December, flights from Houston to Lagos are more than twice as expensive. Any other time of year, round-trip flights range from $1,400 to $2,000 in economy. Ticket prices from the end of December to the beginning of January are around $4,300.
Average round-trip ticket prices from Washington Dulles International Airport to Accra for the same period hover around $3,500, which is more than double the average for any other time of year.
From flights, accommodations, and transportation, the cost to participate in Detty December is steadily rising in a country experiencing price increases on everyday goods driven by inflation and a weakening currency.
“I’ve personally watched the loaf of bread go from ₦150 to over ₦1,200,” TikTok user nneomaudoyeh said.
But as she also points out, the Nigerian economy shifts radically in December.
“A boat party rental that was ₦90k in 2023 is now over ₦200k,” she stated, using data she collected from people who have spent time in Nigeria for Detty December. “Hotels that were ₦144,000 are now over ₦220,000.”
More concerning is the profound impact these prices have on locals, many of whom are unable to afford what upper- and middle-class diasporans pay during this time.
A Local’s Perspective From Lagos
Tourists invest considerable sums of money by participating in Detty December. According to Ghana’s Tourism Authority (GTA), visitors brought in $4.8 billion in revenue, the highest ever recorded in the country’s tourism history. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, Commercium Africa reports that Detty December 2024 generated more than $71 million in revenue for Lagos alone.
But that money doesn’t trickle down to benefit industries equitably, Sade Onabowale, host of the podcast Bridging the Gap, points out.
“Business is typically good for the hospitality and entertainment industries, which include fashion, restaurants, concerts, and beauty,” she says. “In contrast, public transportation isn’t boosted because most people visiting during this time are of the 1% and wouldn’t be using it.”
Visitors also strain infrastructure, worsen affordability challenges, and offer limited economic benefit to smaller towns and villages outside major cities.”
“Detty December does some good, but overall, it has been doing more harm than good,” Onabowale adds. “It is worsening the divide that Lagos has economically with the other states in Nigeria, and the same goes for other larger cities in West African countries.”
How Travelers Can Do Better During Detty December
Onabowale encourages people who plan to spend time in West Africa for Detty December to resist the urge to treat cities as caricatures you only engage with for parties and fun. Take time to research the local culture, be intentional about supporting local villages, and give back consciously.
“Be intentional with volunteering or supporting causes that are close to your heart,” she says.
She also adds, “Please, for the love of God, stop making these TikTok videos about how cheap things are because they aren’t cheap. You just have more money than most people here.”
Another way travelers can do better during Detty December is by visiting other times of year or venturing to other cities. While Accra, Lagos, and, recently, Johannesburg have become the premier destinations for Detty December, consider traveling to Seychelles or São Tomé and Príncipe for more relaxed, less crowded alternatives. Dakar is an excellent option for arts and music, and Benin City is another gem to explore Edo culture.
