The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched this year’s edition of the Kwahu Paragliding Festival in Accra.
The yearly event which is the flagship programme of the ministry is being organised to promote domestic tourism in the country.
The 13th edition of the event which is on the theme: ‘You Too Can Fly’, is scheduled to take place at the Odwianuma Mountains from March 30 to April 2, 2018.
The year’s event is expected to attract a large number of tourists, as well as pilots from some selected countries who will fly passengers during the festival.
Speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of GTA, Akwesi Agyemang, said tourism continues to be one of the key sectors of the economy and it is the mandate of the authority to stabilise the industry and take proper stock of all tourism infrastructure and monument.
He said the festival, expected to attract thousands of people from far and near, would, apart from the paragliding, include funfairs, entertainment among others.
Mr Agyemang stated that this year’s event promises to be an extraordinary event because of the level of improvement that has taken place at the site.
He mentioned that the mandate of the authority is to ensure that tourist facilities are upgraded to attract people to patronise it at all times, adding that they have engaged various stakeholders to ensure that Kwahu 2018 would be remembered for a long time.
“We want to expand the take-off point because in the past only one pilot could fly at a time. But hopefully this year, we would be flying four pilots at a time. We are also working with the pilots to ensure that the fly time is managed so that a lot of people can fly this year,” he said.
The CEO indicated that new pavilions had been built at the site to comfortably accommodate the tourist in a relaxed atmosphere, whilst they wait their turn to fly.
He said, “We are also bringing in top ten pilots from around the world to ensure the success of the events, whilst efforts are being made to train 12 local pilots who would partake in the event in some few years to come.”
Mr Agyemang pointed out that the agency is embarking on other initiatives to boost the industry such as the training of national, community and specific guards and the upgrading of the Kintampo Waterfalls, among others.
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