As part of activities marking this year’s national celebration of the UNWTO World Tourism Day, the Western Regional Coordinating Council, Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority and other agencies of the Ministry have embarked on tree planting exercise to commemorate the day in Patapom near Bogoso in the Prestea-Huni Valley District of the Western Region.
Other activities lined up for the six-day celebration were a virtual symposium via Zoom, Health Walk from Bogoso to Patapom, Musical Concert in Bogoso and a grand durbar and exhibition in Takoradi.
Addressing the gathering before the tree planting exercise, Madam Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture said that ecotourism thrives on nature’s best creations like water falls, parks and gardens like the Kakum National Park and Bole National Park and for that matter there is the need to protect the environment hence, the tree planting exercise.
She explained that the tree planting exercise as part of the celebration was symbolic to preserving the environment which also supports and promotes tourism.
According to her, the benefits that would be derived from ecotourism will remain with the individual and corporate entities to go a long way to better the lots of many families for which reason we must all put hands on deck to promote it.
Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah announced that Bogoso was chosen for the celebration taking a cue from the theme and the fact that it was not a big city even though it is very productive with a lot of tourism attractions.
“The Western Region has shown the way that we are ready to partner the Ministry looking at the annual fancy festival held last year in Takoradi where all the hotels in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis were booked”, he said.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Tourism is making moves to develop all ecotourism sites across the length and breadth of the country to generate income and create jobs.
Nana Kwaku Appiah III, Chief of Patapom Traditional Area was grateful to the two ministers and the stakeholders for bringing the national celebration to the region in particular the Prestea-Huni Valley District to showcase it to the entire world.
He commended the Nana Akufo-Addo led Government for the various infrastructural developments in the district and how he handled the coronavirus pandemic which has yielded enviable positive results.
Mr Charles Cobbina, Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) later in an interview with Spice fm mentioned that the theme for the celebration which is, “Tourism and Rural Development” ties in with the Regional Minister’s campaign of planting coconut trees all over the region especially, the southern zone.
“About a year ago, we began the process of stimulating the planting of five million coconut trees all over the region, and so since tree planting was part of this year’s event, we decided that Prestea-Huni Valley District must see the symbolism of the coconut project”, he stated.
He hinted that one-hundred (100) of coconut would be planted as part of the celebration and expressed the hope that by the next twelve months it would be harvested to improve the economic gains derived from coconut such as oil, broom, nutrition and confectionaries among others.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
