Catherine Abelema Afeku
Minister of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts, Catherine Abelema Afeku, has applauded the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT), managers of the canopy walkway at the Kakum National Park, for its “enviable safety record”.
She stated that two decades of existence of the eco-tourism facility, located at Abrafo-Odumase in the Hemang Lower Denkyira District of the Central Region, without any incident is highly commendable and described GHCT as a “pacesetter” in safety management.
GHCT, a non- governmental organisation, manages the Kakum National Park and is responsible for the daily maintenance of the canopy walk way. It also manages some monuments, including the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, Fort Saint Jago at Elmina, which are recognised world tourists sites.
Mrs Afeku made the recommendation in a speech read on her behalf at a colourful durbar to inaugurate a children’s park and an animal viewing zone at Abrafo.
Organised by the GHCT, the new sites aim at giving tourists interesting varieties of new packages to sustain their interests.
The occasion was also used to solicit technical and financial support for an exhibition centre restoration project.
The children’s park which has a large playground, a mini walk-way, two sculptured antelopes and a resting area will also host other social activities, while the animal viewing zone will offer visitors the opportunity to see and feel different wildlife species in their natural habitat.
Mrs Afeku explained that the tourism sector contributes about 7.1 percent to the gross domestic product and an estimated GH¢6 billion to the nation’s economy, and therefore, more enabling environment would be created to encourage private sector participation to boost activities in the sector to rake in more revenue.
“The development of tourism and the expansion of tourist facilities is one way of creating employment opportunities for our unemployed youth and a major source of revenue generation for the rapid development of the economy,” she indicated.