ROIS Travels Limited, a Ghanaian-based Travel and Tour Agency in Accra, has launched what it described as the ‘Know Your Country’ Tourism Campaign at Amedzofe in the Ho West District of the Volta Region.
As part of the campaign launch, the Travel and Tour Agency organized a one-day trip for a number of tourists from Accra to the Amedzofe Township where the visitors had the opportunity to climb the popular Gemi Mountain as well as experience the recently outdoored Canopy Walkway and Otey Waterfalls, all located within Amedzofe, the highest human habitation enclave in the country.
The launch of the event coincided with the visit of hundreds of students from the Ahamansu Senior High School (SHS) in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region and the Pentecost University College at Sowutuom in Accra.
Mount Gemi is not only historic in nature but also provides a healthy form of physical exercise for the human body. On top of the mountain is a metal cross erected by the missionaries during the 50th anniversary celebration in the area in 1939 when they brought the message of salvation to the community. It was also a ground for prayer for the Christians and the religious at the time. The Gemi Mountain also serves as the point where the Asantes were stopped and subsequently conquered from pursuing the Ewes during their wars between 1867 and 1872.
From the top of the mountain, one could view from that serene environment and height not only the Volta Lake but also sister communities down land such as Kpando, Tafi Atome, Logba as well as the Agu Mountain in neighbouring Togo.
Amedzofe also hosts the Otey Waterfalls as well as the only Canopy Walkway currently situated in the Volta Region and constructed across the waterfalls. Managers of the tourist attraction say it is incomparable to other canopy walkways in other parts of Ghana as one experiences the ‘showers of blessings’ as one goes through the canopy walkway.
The Assembly Member (AM) for the Amedzofe Electoral Area, Hon Robert Ameh, who welcomed the ROIS Travels Limited team and other visitors to the tourist sites, conducted the tourists round the Mountain, the Walkway and the Otey Waterfalls with the support of some of the tour guides in the area. Among the visitors and tourists who climbed the Gemi Mountain and also visited the Canopy Walkway site and the Waterfalls was a three (3) year old boy, Onggy Hianata Elolo Rois, son of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in Ghana, H.E. Pascal A.B. Rois.
Launching the event at the Canopy Walkway and Otey Waterfalls Office grounds, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ROIS Travels Limited, Mrs. Gifty Etse Rois noted that Ghana is blessed with a great wealth of tourist attractions ranging from the historic forts and castles along the country’s coast to the lush rainforests and wildlife sanctuaries at the hinterlands.
According to her, the country has vibrant cities teeming with life and culture and serene villages where time seems to stand still.
“Unfortunately, many have not had the opportunity to explore these treasures right here in our homeland,” the CEO noted.
Mrs. Rois said the ‘Know Your Country’ tourist campaign aims at changing the paradigm, explaining that it seeks to fully inspire Ghanaians, young and old, to step out of their homes and discover the wonders of their own country.
In her view, by organizing such local tours, educational trips and family excursions, ROIS Travels Limited wants to make it easier and accessible for everyone to experience the richness of Ghana’s cultural heritage as well as her natural beauty in diversity.
The CEO announced that ROIS Travels will offer a variety of tour packages tailored at different interests and needs. Recognizing the importance of educating the youth about their country, ROIS Travels is also partnering with schools across the country to organize educational tours that complement their curriculum requirements and also provide hands-on learning experiences to the learners.
She mentioned some of the numerous historical tourist attractions in the Volta Region as the Amedzofe Canopy Walkway, Mount Gemi, Otey Waterfalls, Mount Afadjato, Wli Waterfalls, Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, Tafi Abuife Kente Village, Fort Prinzeinstein at Keta, the Slave Market at Atorkor as well as the Crocodile Pond at Ave Dakpa and disclosed that in the coming weeks and months, ROIS Travels Limited would provide the needed vehicle and opportunities for Ghanaians to experience their home country.
The Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in Ghana, H.E. Paskal A. B. Rois, who led the team of tourists and visitors to Amedzofe, noted that in times past particularly during the early and late 90s, school excursions were some of the common avenues through which many of them visited tourist sites and locations not only to acquire additional knowledge in school but also advance their social and emotional relationship and knowledge through such educational tours.
Mr. Rois used the opportunity to renew his appeal to Ghanaians in general and the youth in particular to explore their country, explaining that knowing one’s country does not necessarily require huge sums of money to achieve that.
He stressed the need for government through the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to collaborate with each other to vigorously revive such school excursions to inure to the benefits of the school children and the students.
Mr. Rois noted that tourism can accrue lots of foreign exchange for Ghana, explaining that Bali in the Republic of Indonesia, the most visited tourist site on the globe, according to a 2022 fox news item, annually generates $10.6 billion dollars for the Indonesian economy through tourism. Ghana, he said can take a cue from Indonesia in order to tap into many of her attractions to raise the needed foreign exchange for development.
The Assembly Member (AM) for Amedzofe, Hon. Robert Ameh was grateful to ROIS Travels Limited for the initiative and visit, adding that in recent times, Amedzofe is gradually becoming the preferred tourist destination not only in the Volta Region but also at the national level.
According to him, the people of Amedzofe have lived in the community for more than five hundred (500) years after migrating from Ahanta in the Western Region. He disclosed that the community has an altitude of two thousand, four hundred (2,400) metres above sea level, adding that Amedzofe is described as a city that is located in the clouds.
Mr. Ameh noted that the major problem militating against the development of tourism in the area is the poor road network including that of the Amedzofe Township roads which also lead to the two (2) major tourist sites in the community. According to him, the road network from Vane to Amedzofe is very bad and narrow, posing danger to the safety and security of tourists to the community.
The AM renewed his appeal to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to honour his 1st September, 2019 promise to the people of Amedzofe to fix the community town roads. He lamented that since the pledge was made by the President some four (4) years ago, the people of Amedzofe are yet to experience the promise.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Hon. Victor Ernest Apau described the tourism potentials of the Ho West District as great, saying the District is liaising with a lot of investors including the locals to develop and improve other tourist attractions within the district. According to the DCE, the Ho West District would soon become the number one tourist attraction hub in Ghana.
Some of the tourists, who spoke with our newsteam, described their experience as exciting and revealing, adding that Ghanaians have a lot to share with the peoples of the diaspora.