Catherine Afeku
Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Catherine Afeku, has disclosed that the Kintampo Waterfalls in the Kintampo North Municipality of Brong-Ahafo Region attracts 30,000 tourists annually.
The minister made this known when she addressed a durbar organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) with support of the Kintampo North Municipal Assembly (KNMA) to mark the re-opening of the waterfalls at Kintampo.
The Kintampo Waterfalls was closed down for rehabilitation on Monday, March 19, 2017 after a disaster that led to the death of about 18 people, mostly students who were on an excursion.
Mrs Afeku announced that because of the patronage by both local and international tourists, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed by stakeholders in the tourism industry and the chiefs on behalf of the people of Kintampo.
The minister added this would ensure efficiency in the management of the facility for increased revenue and judicious use of it for the mutual benefit of the municipality and the nation in general.
She added that though revenue had been lost since the closure as a result of the disaster, the quality of the rehabilitation had become a benchmark for all tourist attraction sites that required re-development to attain modern standards.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the (GTA), Akwasi Agyemang, gave the assurance that high health and safety measures and standards have been put in place to guarantee the safety of tourists and visitors to the place.
He mentioned that about GH¢500,000,00 rehabilitated waterfalls is expected to provide direct jobs to about 50 people and more than that figure for indirect employment.