SOURCE: GRAPHICONLINE
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched the 2023 edition of the Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival which is scheduled to take place from tomorrow, April 7 to Monday, April 10.
At the launch in March at Nkwatia-Kwahu in the Kwahu East District of the Eastern Region, GTA announced that the cost for flying during this year’s paragliding festival would be GH¢950.
An annual celebration organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in collaboration with GTA and the chiefs and Okwahuman, the Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival has not only gone international, but has also become an integral part of the Kwahu Easter festivities since 2005.
Paragliding was introduced as part of the Easter festivities during the tenure of then Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the capital city Accra, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, after he visited the Kwahu ridge as part of his familiarisation tour of the country in 2003.
The festival is said to be the brainchild of Ferdinand Ayim, who was a special assistant to the then minister from 2002-2005.
The GTA has, therefore, erected a monument at the paragliding field in honour of Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey and Mr Ayim who have both passed on.
Meanwhile, the first Ghana Paragliding Festival in 2005, as part of the Kwahu Easter festivities, was launched by then Vice-President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
Each year the Easter festival has brought together family and friends from the diaspora as well as indigenes of Okwahuman to have fun and experience the rich cultural and tourism sites within the Kwahu enclave.
The GTA has, therefore, urged hoteliers within the Kwahu enclave to charge moderate rates to avoid a shift in the tourism destination for the country.
The Authority is aiming at leveraging the paragliding festival to increase tourist arrivals to 1.3 million this year.
Festival
Since the paragliding festival commenced, it has attracted tourists and pilots from several parts of the world, including France, Germany, Peru, Switzerland, the United States of America and Ghana, except for a two-year break due to COVID-19.
After a two-year hiatus, the annual paragliding festival, held during the Easter season, returned to the Odweanoma mountain at Atibie into the plains of Nkawkaw last year.
The first paragliding flight for 2022 was with the Chief Director at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, John Yaw Agbeko, with the lead pilot, Chuck Smith.
Mr Agbeko, in an interview, expressed excitement at being the first person to fly; indicating that he was optimistic about his safety since he flew with an experienced pilot.
He urged all revellers to participate and have a great experience of flying above the Kwahu Ridge and observe the entire beauty of the Kwahu landscape.
