A GNA feature by Hannah Asomaning

Accra, Sept. 2, GNA - What on earth are you going to do there? Do you have a family there? Aren't the roads very bad?

That was the general consensus from friends and family when Elsie Ankuma and Ayesha Bedwei, Ghanaians resident in Accra announced their plan to have a four-day break in Axim in the Western region. The two friends were however, determined to go on this journey, which they termed: "Exploring Our National Challenge" to become tourists in some part of their own country Ghana.

It was a normal every day journey that people undertake when travelling for funerals, weddings, naming ceremonies and parties. The journey on an STC bus from Accra to Takoradi, the Western region's capital took them about four hours and then they connected with a bus from Takoradi to Axim, within a short period.

Without any relatives or friends in the town the two lodged at the Axim Beach Hotel.

The next day, they arranged with a local taxi driver to take them round. They had on agenda a visit to Nzulenzu, meaning surface of water, a village on stilts, Nkroful and tour Axim for the next three days. Their first stop was Beyin is a town that links Nzulenzu by river. According to Ayesha, on arrival at Beyin a traveller is provided with a canoe, life jacket and a guide or rower.

The hour journey by canoe from Beyin to Nzulenzu took travellers through a canal, a mangrove area and a lake.

They visited Nkroful, the birthplace of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President, the next day and did a tour of Axim on the third day where they visited Fort Antonio, the second oldest fort in Ghana. The two explorers say the four-day break was worthwhile. "It is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Accra. It was a great way to wind down after a hectic days."

One would not miss the question, "what are you going to do there" if he or she announces a similar decision to take a tour of a particular region or town in Ghana.

Most students in tertiary institutions would prefer to move heaven and earth to get huge amounts of money to enable them to travel abroad during their vacations, while they need just enough to have a worthwhile holiday in Ghana, visiting tourist attractions and learning more about the culture and history of Ghana.

The vacations could also be used by students to undertake volunteer jobs in the rural areas, thus contributing their quota to national development.

It must be noted that the writer is not condemning overseas vacations but only drawing attention to the fact that there are lovely and less expensive places to visit in Ghana when considering a vacation. The celebration of World Tourism Day in Ghana draws attention to the importance of domestic tourism.

World Tourism

World Tourism Day is celebrated worldwide every September 27 to emphasize the importance of tourism in the development of a country This year's celebration on the theme: "Tourism Enriches" highlighting the potential of the tourism industry to enhance economic growth of the individual, family, community and the society as a whole.

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) in a message to member countries celebrating Tourism this year says tourism if managed well serves as an instrument for the UN Millennium Development goals.

Enrichment, according to the WTO is not just in economic terms but includes environment and local culture benefit when government revenue from tourism related goods and services helps restore monuments, opens museums and establish natural parks.

As tourism grows, so does the need to develop infrastructure, the building of roads, sewages and water treatment plants to improve the lives of the local people.

WTO believes that tourism is a very much human story, women in Central Asia are booming in the weaving of geometric pattern carpets to be sold to tourists.

Malaysia is another success story in tourism; fishermen who tried without luck in the capital cities return to their family homes with traditional fishing methods to supply dinner at newly opened beach resorts.

Ghana is focusing on Gwollu, a town in the Upper West Region in this year's celebrations to expose the unique culture, traditions and relics of activities in the past. The nation calls on all Ghanaians to head toward Gwollu, come September 27 to share the tourism experience.

GWOLLU

Gwollu, the hometown of Ghana's former and President Dr. Hilla Limann is another place where every tourist interested in the activities of the slave trade will like to visit. It is a town that has relics of a defence wall still standing. The grave of Dr Limann is located right in the middle of the palace.

The people of Gwollu built this wall, which is bullet proof, to protect themselves from the slave raiders in the 18th century.

Gwollu Kuoro (Chief of Gwollu), Kuri-Buktie Limann IV, told the Ghana News Agency that the ancestors of the town fought gallantly to protect their people from salve raiders, who usually surrounded the village and set fire to the thatched roof. The raider would then wait for both men and women to run out, making it easy for them to be captured.

The first wall was built in 1756 but it did not deter the slave raiders from capturing the people because they still had to go out of their homes to fetch water or go to their farms.

It therefore, became necessary for a second wall to be built to enclose water sources and farmlands to avoid being captured and sold into slavery.

Today, part of the Gwollu Defence wall still stands. The inhabitants, who still cherish the importance of this wall, have built a fence around it to protect it from total collapse.

Apart from the unique wall, there is a bonesetters' clinic where herbs and traditional rituals are used to completely heal broken bones. The bone-setters clinic has the mystery that two rivals, Ama and Akosua (not real names) lived in the same house, one day, the older one, Ama took the pestle of the younger one, Akosua to prepare food and in the process the pestle got broken.

When the younger wife came, the older one pleaded with her to forgive her but the younger one refused. Ama even offered to buy her a new one but Akosua refused to accept the new one and demanded that Ama mend the broken one and gave it back to her.

Frustrated Ama then, showed the pestle to the gods and called for help to mend the broken pestle; she tied the broken pieces together with a cloth and trusted that the pieces would join.

The next morning, the pestle was whole, she offered thanks to the gods, gave the pestle back to Akosua and concluded that if broken pestles could be mended then broken bones could be healed. The bone-setting centre was then set up to help heal people with broken bones.

Gwollu also boasts of a Viagra Centre that uses only herbs to restore male potency. More can be learned when one visits the Viagra centre.

Income, Tourism?

Domestic tourism in Ghana is one area that needs to be developed. People often say: how much is my salary to be used for leisure travels? However, it is just leisure travel or it is travelling to learn more about one's people, culture and history. Leisure travelling at the same time helps improve rural economy. Travellers buy food, water and may perhaps invest in communities that host tourist attractions.

Together if Ghanaians learn to tour other places in the country, then we will be working towards achieving unity that the world is craving for, while contributing to the country's economic growth.