The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) says a centre would soon be established at Kwahu to train pilots locally who would be flying the paragliding on the Odweanoma Mountains.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Akwasi Agyeman, who made the revelations on 3FM’s Sunrise, explained that for the past fifteen years, pilots who normally come for the paragliding exercise are from other parts of the world and that has been the reasons why it is done on Easter festivities.
“We need pilots locally. There are some who have qualified to fly but they have to practice for a number of months so in the next few months we will have a centre there for people to be trained”, Mr. Agyeman told Sunrise host, Alfred Ocansey.
Mr. Agyeman said “we have engaged the pilot on that so that is what we are aiming at”.
“Going forward, we will try and see if we can do it monthly or otherwise because for now, the pilots have been doing it for free for the past fifteen years, but we have to look at how to remunerate them. It’s more like voluntary activities for now”.
Turnout
The GTA CEO explained that the target was 300 flyers but the unfavorable weather conditions hampered the target.
“We had a target for general attendance, security, road safety, small business operators, among others”.
Mr. Agyeman said “the turnout was massive”.
“The police did a wonderful job. The IGP himself was here in Kwahu. For the paragliding, the target was 300 and we had planned it from the Eastern Friday, Saturday and Monday, but we had a little over 200 because the rains did not help”.
He explained that “it was not up the numbers we targeted. The research teams are coming to do the analysis”.
“They did the calculation on hotel accommodation…the booking levels. And in the next few weeks, we will put out the results”.
On traffic management, Mr. Agyeman said “when you come to Kwahu around this period, people complain of traffic but this time it was orderly”.
