Akwasi Agyeman
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched this year’s edition of the annual Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival at the Kwahumanhene’s Palace, after two years break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The paragliding festival is an annual event held during Easter, where seasoned pilots from around the world are invited to fly hundreds of people during a 3-day event at Kwahu Atibie.
BEATWAVES gathered that preparations for this year are far advanced for an exciting Easter Paragliding Festival in April.
The paragliding festival which has traditionally been held to coincide with the Easter festivities has become the most patronised event in Ghana during this period.
Year after year, the Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival gets bigger and better, and Ghanaians have come to accept it as a national event.
An initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, this year’s event is expected to attract over 5000 guests and tourists.
The Chief Executive Officer of GTA, Akwesi Agyeman, who officially launched the event, noted that the paragliding festival has become a trigger for international tourism in Ghana.
He disclosed that there are plans to make paragliding a weekly event by the end of the year, adding that the Ghanaian trainee pilot had obtained his license to fly.
According to him, for this year, there would be hot air balloon and a marathon in addition to the myriad of activities that would be held alongside the paragliding.
He added that GTA is partnering tour operators to provide packages to patrons who would want to explore sites and attractions of the Kwahu area during the festival.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Head, Corporate Affairs, Ghana Tourism Authority, told Ghana New Agency in an interview that the authority had engaged event organisers and stakeholders to look at ways of bringing them together to organise the 2022 Kwahu Paragliding Festival.
“Traditional authorities, the Islamic authorities, Council of Churches, Immigration, Fire Service, Police, Ambulance, NADMO, among others have all been engaged ahead of time by the GTA to ensure a successful celebration,” he said.
He revealed that the authority would also be producing a Kwahu Easter Guide, which would inform tourists and the general public about the various events and activities and other vital information about the upcoming festivities.
“Hoteliers, event organisers and other stakeholders will also have the opportunity of advertising in this guide. The call for events submission has also been sent out,” he indicated.
By George Clifford Owusu