He may have missed out on the official return year, which was held in Ghana in 2019, but we love that Lewis Hamilton, who recently toured Africa, did it the “right way”.

“I finally found my roots in Africa, and guys, to say it was a rewarding experience is an understatement,” he said.

We love that Lewis, who was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Stevenage, UK, came to Africa not as a goodwill ambassador to point out what’s wrong with the continent, but rather to prove that a celebrity can visit Africa without telling stories about a broken continent.

The F1 champion spent two weeks in Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda, and his trip made headlines around the world.

While he’s not the first celebrity to find roots in his “homeland,” his visit here has given us, Africans and the world, a glimpse of the continent as a travel destination and a place of excitement and adventure.

Africa was the world’s second-fastest growing tourism market in 2019, and his trip could bring in millions of dollars to the countries he visits.

Tourism gets a boost whenever a mega-celebrity visits a country. Their millions of fans (Hamilton has 29.6 million followers on Instagram alone) understand that while they may never get to meet their hero, they can share an experience – online or in real life. And we’re glad Lewis opened the door for them to share what Africa has to offer.

Lewis’s “destination Africa” experience is, in a word, beautiful. We flew over the Namib desert, hiked with gorillas in Rwanda, fed giraffes and played with 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 elephants in Kenya, and also met the Pokot people to learn more about their lives and traditions.

It’s impossible to travel anywhere in the world without seeing the less-than-glorious side of life there; but Lewis never once commented on the headline-grabbing socio-political issues. Instead, he kept his perspective personal, sharing his photos of Africa under the #TravelGoals banner.

His words were equally compelling. While many celebrities would undoubtedly take photos of poor but happy African 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, he recounted his experiences in detail and nothing more.

“How can you describe an experience that leaves you speechless?” he asked. “Everywhere I looked, I was surrounded by so much beauty,” he said of Namibia.

His encounters with natural heritage speak to how communities protect the environment. After visiting the Reteti Game Reserve in Kenya, he wrote,

“They are the first indigenous community-owned and operated game reserve in Africa, and the work they do for these animals should be an inspiration to us all.”

In addition to boosting tourism, his trip is a lesson for other celebrities in how to use their star power and marketing to showcase people and spark aspiration for Africa.

Most of the stories the world knows about Africa are still rooted in poverty, disease, conflict, drought, and other social issues. Many celebrities who visit Africa use their platforms to advocate for development-related causes—and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, this persistent approach to the continent does us no good, as it reinforces the idea that Africa is broken and in need of help.

Lewis has found and shared a different side of Africa. As one of the most influential people in the world, all eyes are on him, both on and off the track. And we are delighted to see this global icon using his platform to tell a different story about Africa.