NCHIRAA HOSTS WORLD TOURISM DAY (SHOWBIZ, PAGE 8, OCT 8, 2010)

By Samuel Duodu

THE Amamere Fie Cultural Troupe from Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region were the toast of patrons who converged at the Nchiraa Roman Catholic Basic School Park for a durbar to mark this year’s national celebration of World Tourism Day.
The group’s drama entitled “Amamere yento ntwene” which literally means “culture cannot be destroyed” engaged the attention of the audience tremendously. The performance aimed at bringing to the fore the responsibility of citizens towards the conservation of the country’s forests, water bodies, natural resources and the environment as a whole.
The durbar was spiced with other entertainment including drumming and dancing by the Tanokrom Agoromma, the resident cultural troupe of the Brong Ahafo Regional Centre for National Culture and brass band music.
The excitement at the durbar ground reached fever pitch when the VIP guests, including the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo and the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr. Kobby Acheampong joined some of the audience to dance to some brass band music.
The day was to promote awareness among the community of the importance of tourism. This year’s celebration on the theme “Tourism and Biodiversity” sought to highlight the symbiotic relationship between tourism and bio-diversity, which accounted for the various national resources of the earth for tourism development.
A good number of both domestic and international tourists defied a heavy down pour earlier in the day as well as the bad access road to visit and have fun at the Nchiraa Waterfall . The waterfall was the focus of the celebration and according to the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr. Acheampong it was also to help attract investment around the waterfall and other attractions within the municipality and the Brong Ahafo Region as a whole.
“We are confident that this beautiful fall will attract the needed investment to make it a showpiece for tourism in this region. It is our prayer that this waterfall will become a source of income for the development of this municipality”, the Deputy Minister said.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo on his part called on the people in the host communities of the various tourist attractions in the region to keep their environment clean always as their contribution towards the promotion of tourism in the region and the nation as a whole.
Osabarima Kwadwo Sito, the Omanhene of Banda Traditional Area who also represented the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and chaired the function in his remarks pledged the commitment of nananom towards the development and promotion of tourism in the region.
Among the dignitaries present were the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr. Alexander Asum Ahesan; Board Chairman of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), Mr. Edem Kpodo; the Chief Executive of GTB, Mr. Julius Debrah and Prof. George Gyan Baffour, the Member of Parliament for Wenchi.
Also present were Ms. Charlotte Sika Quagraine, Miss Tourism 2010 and Ms. Flora Owusuwaa Brenya, First Princess Miss Tourism 2010.
As part of the activities to mark the day, prizes were presented to the Wenchi Senior High School and the Itiquama SHS also at Wenchi, all in the Brong Ahafo Region for placing first and first runner-up in an a Tourism quiz competition .