Wli Waterfalls yet to open for tourism activities

Mr. Kuyorwu Lambert, Assembly member for Wli Afegame Electoral Area in the Hohoe Municipality, has said the Wli Waterfalls has not been opened to tourists and tourism business since the outbreak of pandemic.

“We are holding a series of meetings in relation to the opening of the Falls to tourists and how we will put in precautionary measures and materials for safety of tourists, reason the Falls is still closed.”

Mr. Kuyorwu disclosed these in a telephone interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the Volta Regional Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) had dispatched operational guidelines regarding opening of tourists’ sites, which called for deliberations among stakeholders on the way forward.

He said the site would be opened to tourists once the modus operandi concerning it had been approved by the Authority.

The falls, which cascades from a height of about 80 metres above sea level is mostly visited on holidays and festive occasions.

A Founder’s Day observation would have attracted individuals, families and groups spending the day at the falls but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the site has been shut to tourists.

The Wli falls charges adult tourists an amount of GH¢15.00 for Ghanaians and foreigners and GH¢ 8.00 each for a group of 20 people and more.

It also charges between GH¢ 3.00 to GH¢ 5.00 for children.

Mr. Emmanuel Kodzo Gblokpor, a Senior Tour Guide at the Wli Falls Office, in an interview with the GNA, recently asserted that the Office was putting in measures to make the waterfalls attractive to tourists.

He said the Office reconstructed some roads and bridges to the falls after they were destroyed by rains and had several challenges including; the absence of a place of convenience at the Waterfalls and changing rooms for tourists who would like to swim.

Founder’s Day is a statutory public holiday celebrated on August 4 every year after the passing of the Public Holiday Amendment Bill into law in March 2019.

The Day also marks two important events in Ghana’s history, the date for the formation of the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society by John Mensah Sarbah in 1897.

It also marked the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947 by J.B. Danquah and George Alfred “Paa” Grant.

GNA