Gbadzeme, Oct 25, GNA - The Chiefs and people of the Gbadzeme, in the Avatime Traditional Area, on Saturday held a durbar at Gbadzeme to launch the Ayafie Tourist Centre, a leisure facility built around the Ayafie Waterfall.

The Waterfall, said to be little known, is a 40 meter tumble of the perennial River Oteahavor, from the mountains of Amedzofe, where it originates, down the scarps at the precincts of Gbadzeme. Mr Emmanuel Kofididi, the sole developer till now, said he identified the area as a "hot tourist attraction" in 1998, and had since cultivated decorative plants and fruits, worth nearly GHC 2,000, around the fall to make it an attractive resort.

He said the natural swimming pool created by the Waterfall and the caves and other ravines holding clean water should make the area "a place to want to go".

Mr Kofididi said the Centre which had a resting place had been visited by a few foreign tourists lately. The main visitors have been local tourists.

Osie Adjatekpor VII, Paramount Chief of the Avatime Traditional Area, said the time had come to vigorously market the area's wares, which include mountains, rivulets, ponds, streams, the temperate-like weather and greeneries, among others.

Okoforobour Agyemang VII, Chief of Gbadzeme, said the major challenge to the tourist industry in the area was the bad roads, which must be tackled by the government to kick-start the tourism business in the area. He said the area's latent traditional spinning industry would be revived to add value to the Avatime tourism wares. Mr Charles Obeng, Volta Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, (GTB) said the Board would collaborate to get Gbadzeme on the World Tourism Map.

He recommended that its potentials be packaged for presentation at the forthcoming Volta Region Investment Fair in Ho. Mr Obeng urged the inhabitants to identify themselves with the project for it to gain full community support.

The government is constructing a major highway from Sogakope through Adidome to Ho and up the mountains to Amedzofe and down to Fume on the Ho-Hohoe trunk road, which could make a considerable impact to the economic fortunes of the area when completed. 25 Oct 09