By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kintampo
SOMETHING struck me during a recent visit I paid to Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region.
That the tourism potential of the area has still not been tapped to the full advantage of the people and the nation was unthinkable. Kintampo is synonymous with numerous tourism potentials and only pragmatic policies by the authorities would ensure a significant turn around.
I remember one of my days in class four at the Goaso Roman Catholic Primary School “A” when our class teacher, named Madam Konadu posed the question, “Where is the geographical centre of Ghana?”
As the class remained quiet for some time, the teacher called me to answer the question. You know why I was called? I was the most brilliant pupil in the class and the teacher believed I held the key to the answer.
I was barely 10 years of age, and even though I could not readily provide the answer to the question I knew the teacher would definitely repeat the question.
Consequently, when we closed from school, I went for a map of Ghana and while I made a fruitless attempt to locate where the centre of the country was, my senior in class six came to my aid and told me it was at Kintampo.
True to my prediction, the next day our teacher posed the same question to the class. I was the only person to raise a hand and I had it correct.
The real centre of the country is a small place in the town and it is one of the tourism attractions in Ghana. A monument has been erected at the spot.
Tourism cuts across socio-economic sectors and includes all the activities, attractions, facilities, services and infrastructure relating to people’s travels away from their homes on long day trips or for overnight stays.
As on one of the fastest growing sectors of the country, tourism has the potential of pushing Ghana to enable it obtain a good share of the world trade.
With the world economy changing by the day as a result of competition, the nation can no more rely on primary products as the economic bedrock of the country.
For Kintampo, and in this case the Kintampo North Municipality where most of the tourism attractions are located, unique primary tourist attractions have played a critical role in the Brong Ahafo Region’s tourism industry.
Among the attractions are the Kintampo Waterfalls located along the Kintampo-Tamale road and the Fulla Falls at Yabraso. Some small waterfalls are also found in the area.
Kintampo is historically remembered for its association with the British Military. Today, the burial ground of world war British Military officers who died in Kintampo is still intact and provides a unique attraction to tourists.
In the colonial days, Kintampo served as the seat of the commissioner of Ashanti. Many of the buildings occupied by the British still stand today.
Mention can also be made of attractions like the Pumpum River which flows through some beautiful rocky terrain to form the Kintampo Waterfalls. The river continues its flow towards the Black Volta at Buipe and to the Fuller Falls. There is also the slave market, saves and night lamp at Kunsu.
Besides these, the Bosomoa Forest Reserve with its flora and fauna and the conical hills and ridges located in the southern parts of the area also provide beautiful natural scenery.
The picture painted so far portrays Kintampo as a critical investment and tourism potentials.
It is for this reason that the municipal assembly must go the extra mile to bring the areas tourism potentials close to investors.
It is regrettable that today, the full potential of the Kintampo Falls, for instance, has not been harnessed. It could be a big revenue earner for the assembly and the nation.
There is the need for the potential areas and activities to be repackaged and marketed to ensure that the real benefits are accrued.
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