2013 Paragliding To Take Off On Easter Friday March 29 In Kwahu

Director, Special Events, Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Mr Ben Anane-Nsiah, has given assurance that all is set for this year�s paragliding festival on the Kwahu mountains. According to him, the eighth paragliding festival dubbed �Okwawu 2013� is expected to take off on March 29 to April 1, 2013. In an interview, Mr Anane-Nsiah said the events would provide a good platform to highlight the tourism assets of the destination since the festival had boosted tourism to the Kwahu area and raised the profile of the Kwahu Easter celebrations. He indicated that the event was introduced mainly to focus attention on the Kwahu area, and make the Kwahu region a special zone during the Easter celebrations. According to him, ten paragliding pilots have been invited from the United States, France, Japan and Nepal to give visitors the opportunity to enjoy the paragliding experience, which would be complemented by a variety of side activities such as adventure hikes, musical shows and street carnivals. He further stated that accommodations are in place to host visitors, and assured that security would also be beefed up at the area due to the large number people who invade the town. �The numbers has increased and this year�s event promises to attract double the numbers.This event and other associated tourism activities have also impacted positively on the growth of hotels and the introduction of other related tourism sports like cave hiking in the Kwahu area� he said. He however noted that the road network from Nkwakwah to Etibie was not in its best shape, but assured that the District Assembly was working around the clock to put the road in good shape. He said the mandate of the GTA was to promote tourism both locally and internally, and that it was ready to support any activity which promotes both domestic and international tourism. �Our mandate is to drive tourism's development and its promotion�.