A 300, 000 Ghana Cedis Exhibition Hall for the Kakum National Park has been commissioned to showcase the natural heritage, in addition to reflecting the ecological beauty of the park and its history.
Facilitated by the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT) with support from the French Embassy in Ghana through its Sankofa Small Grants, the project, which is the first phase and the various expansion works to be done at the National Park, will among others aid staff in sensitizing visitors to conservation efforts being implemented by the GHCT and the Wildlife Division of the FC and what role visitors could play in safeguarding the ecosystem.
Speaking at the commissioning, chairman of the Board of Trustees of GHCT, Mr. Akunu Dake said the Board has plans to further change the outlook of the park’s visitor centre and introduce more attractions to enhance the developing tourism scene of the country.
“The exhibition center is designed to showcase the natural heritage of the Kakum National Park. In addition to reflecting the ecological beauty of the past and its history, it also aids staff in sensitizing visitors on conservation efforts being implemented by the GHCT and the Wildlife Division of the First Commission,” he added.
He further indicated that the Exhibition Hall was developed around six thematic areas and a futuristic theme of implementing an audio-visual section.
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These include the introduction and history of the Kakum Conservation Area, the rainforest structure, Ecosystem services, and products, special Conservation Airforce and alternative livelihood projects, visitor attractions, and advocacy issues.
Mr. Dake, therefore, called on development partners in the tourism and forestry areas to collaborate and develop the various protected areas in Ghana.
Meanwhile, the Central Regional Minister, Mad. Justina Marigold Assan has assured that the new exhibition center will help the GHCT execute its mandate of managing the facility and also promote environmental and conservation education awareness.
She also encouraged management of the park and their development partners to continue the collaboration to ensure steady growth and the promotion of tourism, attract tourists and increase revenue to further improve the quality of service.
“I want to challenge the management of Kakum National Park to ensure proper management and maintenance of this project in order to excellently serve its intended purpose to the delights of the visitors and thereby attract more revenue to further improve the quality of service that we render to the people.” She emphasized
She added that the exhibition hall interpreted the complexities, which underlined tropical rainforest diversities, the interdependencies among species of flora and fauna as well as the numerous biological connections, which make the rainforest a web of life.
She said, “The extent of work done here is quite impressive with the aim of meeting the current modern trends in tourism, especially at this period when other regions are working hard to boost their tourism potentials.”
The Exhibition Hall will promote conservation education while serving as a center for research and understanding the cultural values of communities.
The Kakum National Park is a tropical rainforest that is pivotal in the country’s tourism and natural heritage sector. Kakum National Park receives annually the highest number of visitations and ranks number one among all the tourist sights and attractions in Ghana.
Source: Anthony Sasu Ayisadu/ATLFMNEWS
