The event is part of activities that have been lined up to promote domestic tourism in the month of September each year.

Known as the Corporate Fun and Fly Paragliding Festival, it kicked off last Thursday, and ended last Sunday.

The event enabled people from the community and other revellers who were unable to celebrate the main Kwaku Easter paragliding festivities to take their turn.

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with Kwahu Professional Network (KPN) spearheaded the programme.

Activities held as part of the event included the Ghana Cinema Week, the Yenko Kwahu, the Taste of Kwahu, a health walk and the King of the Mountains Cycling Competition.

There was also a church service and music conversation summit. 

Pilots

The event brought together pilots such as Ed Stein (USA), Chuck Smith (USA), Blake Daniel Pelton (USA), Raymond Chase Kabisch (USA) and Jonathan Quaye (Ghana).

Launching the event on top of the Odweanoma Mountain at Atibie last Thursday, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in charge of General Services of the GTA, Anane Nsiah, said the paragliding festival had been growing at a fast rate.

He said there was the need for the GTA to further create more awareness.

Mr Nsiah said since roads and land sites were the major problems associated with the paragliding, they would soon be addressed to ensure a smooth gliding experience in subsequent years.

Remarkable journey

For his part, the President of KPN, Prince Boateng, indicated that the festival was a remarkable journey everyone would wish to undertake because of tourism.

That, according to him, would help boost the local economy of the area.

Mr Boateng stated that paragliding had succeeded in opening up the area’s tourism potentials and destinations.

That, he said, made more people take advantage of the Kwahu paragliding event and could visit there every year to experience it.

Growth

A pilot from USA, Chuck Smith, told the Daily Graphic that there was the need to improve and grow the paragliding festival in Kwahu.

Mr Smith said he enjoyed flying more especially with the Ghanaian people because of their hospitable nature

He was hopeful that the proposed paragliding school would be established to help train more Ghanaians to fly on their own.

Writer's email: haruna.wunpini@ graphic.com.gh