AVATIME FORMS ECOTOURISM GROUP (MIIROR, PAGE 35, JUNE 5, 2010)

FromTim Dzamboe, Amedzofe

The Avatime- Gemi Otoga Ecotourism Society of the people of Avatime traditional area in the Ho Municipality has been inaugurated with the view to exploring and maximising gains of the enormous potential in ecotourism in the area for development.
The society aims at facilitating the development of tourist products and projects through community participation, support from government, development partners and non-governmental organisations for the upgrading and expansion of tourist sites and products to meet domestic and international standards.
In an address, the Chairman of the society, Mr Sammy Akagbor, said the society had developed a hiking trail between Fume and Gemi and also redeveloped the original trail to the Amedzofe waterfall and christened it as Gelitsa Waterfall Trail.
Mr Akagbor said one other project is to develop a recreational park and game reserve, adding that there were over 10 products that could be derived from the recreational centre and could be of great interest to tourists.
In an inaugural address, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr Kobby Acheampong, underscored the need for all stakeholders to gather their act to explore all untapped avenues in the tourism industry for national development.
He said there was the need to develop and market all segments of tourism products to meet the target in a highly competitive industry.
Mr Acheampong called for collaboration between the public and private sectors to help achieve targets that will benefit the nation, adding that plans were afoot by the ministry to introduce mountain hiking and biking on a yearly basis and tasked the society to liaise with the ministry to that effect.
The Osie of Avatime, Togbe Adjatekpor VII, commended the society and advised them to form stronger bonds in order to reap the benefits of ecotourism, stressing that they should work closely with traditional authorities to sustain interest in the project.
The advisor to Avatime Development Committee, Mr Herbert Adedeme, called for partnership with stakeholders to explore other eco-tourism sites.
He appealed to the Ghana Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism to construct receptive centres at Biakpa and Gbadzeme to consolidate the development and promotion of tourism in the area.