AGOETOUSO to make Avatime first choice tourist destination

Vane, (V/R), July 2, GNA - The Avatime Gemi Otoga Eco-tourism Society (AGOETUSO) is to establish forest and game reserves and develop walkways and hiking tracks on mountains and valleys and in the Avatime Traditional Area.

It is also to develop recreational facilities such as swimming pools, community orchard and found a well groomed cultural troupe to make the area the first choice tourism destination in the nation. Mr Evans Ostyina, Vice President of the Association, announced this at a sensitization seminar organized by the Association for its members and community members at Vane.

He observed that the area was greatly endowed with beautiful landscapes, mountains, varied species of birds, frogs, trees, among others, and only needed the necessary exposure to make the place a destination for many tourists.

"We hope by developing and exposing these potential tourist sites, we will be contributing to the improvement in the living conditions of various chapter member farmers in the traditional area," he stated.

"Through sustained and technological utilization of the land resources for agriculture and community tourism we are hopeful that the project will directly benefit all the rural households in the traditional area by creating a large market for individuals through commercial activities expected as outcomes."

Mr Otsyina said the Association was also in link with the National Sports Council to make the Avatime Mountain biking competition an annual event to popularize the sport. Osie Adjatekpor VII, Paramount Chief of Avatime Traditional Area, noted that the residents are predominantly farmers who do not have enough land and expressed the hope that the community tourism initiative would help improve their living conditions. Mr Kwame Gyasi, Volta Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, advised them to remain united so they could market their tourist potentials. "The Traditional area is indeed blessed with a lot of tourist sites but if you people are divided, no tourist would come here," he advised.