Kwahu 2023 Paragliding Kicks Off
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts has launched the 2023 Kwahu – Easter Paragliding Festival on the Kwahu ridge.
The event was held on top of the Odwenanoma Mountain in the Kwahu South Municipality of the Eastern Region.
A short but colourful ceremony was held Friday morning to begin the four-day festival, which has over the years become the flagship Easter holiday programme in the country’s tourism sector.
An initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, this year’s event which is expected to attract between 5000 and 10, 000 people, took off amidst tight security in the wake of the possible terrorist threat in the country.
A special team from the counter-terrorism unit of the Ghana Police Service has been deployed to the towns within the ridge where activities of the Easter celebrations are concentrated.
Rescue missions from the 64 Military Battalion, Ghana Ambulance Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, and the National Disaster Management Organisation are also on the ground.
Deputy Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku Mantey, who launched the event assured Ghanaians of the government’s continuous investment in paragliding to boost the local economy of Kwahu.
He urged private investors to come on board the paragliding festival, which was started by the late Jake Obetsebe-Lamptey during his tenure as the Minister for Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City.
The Paragliding festival is aimed at boosting local tourism, creating social coercion, boosting the local economy, and creating employment.
The official launch was performed on 1st March 2023 at Abene in the seat of the Kwahu paramountcy.
Pilots
A total of Seven Paragliding Pilots will be flying passengers during the Event.
They are: Edward Stein (Lead Pilot), USA, Chuck Smith, USA Blake Peltan, USA, Eduardo Reategui, Peru, Okada Naohisa, Japan, Diego Moreno, Columbia, and Jonathan Quaye from Ghana.
Meanwhile, a total of 174 passengers have registered to fly in this year’s Easter Kwahu Paragliding. The cost of flying currently is GH¢950.
Other activities lined up by the event organizers to mark the Easter Celebration in Kwahu includes hiking, football match, durbar of Chiefs, and musical concerts.