Kakum National Park revenue dips

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The Kakum National Park is losing millions of Ghana cedis as a result of bad road network.
The Kakum National Park is losing millions of Ghana cedis as a result of bad road network.

The Kakum National Park is losing millions of Ghana cedis as a result of bad road network.

The park that hosts 180,000 visitors averagely a year, is one of the most visited tourism destinations in the country

According to the management of the facility, revellers and other visitors to the site have complained bitterly about the poor road network that has a number of lives last year through road crashes.

The 357km2 national park located near a small town of Abrafo comprises mostly of undisturbed virgin rainforest.

The Canopy Walkway – Africa’s first and only rainforest walkway – is composed of 350 meters of seven suspended bridges and six tree platforms that reach the height of 40 meters above the forest floor.

From the treetops, visitors experience a unique and spectacular view of the rainforest ecosystem and have the opportunity to see the flora and fauna, which could never be viewed from the ground. Hundreds of species of butterflies and birds are viewed from the Walkway early in the morning and the lucky visitors catch a glimpse of uncommon wild animals.

Revelers and patrons in their hundreds troop to the tourist site every day and share their experiences after an encounter with the forest and bracing themselves to the challenge of walking on the seven suspended bridges to have a perfect view.

In spite of the excitement that glows on the faces of visitors and patrons to the site, the? deplorable road network that has killed scores of people in 2013 alone, scares them. The thousands of pot-holes and yawning openings have made drivers dodge them to preserve their vehicles and in? the process road crashes happen.

The nightmares of residents and visitors about the poor road network are enough to keep them away from the park.

The fortunes of the National park are now declining steadily as a result of the road network and as evidenced in the feedback given to the management of the facility, the Ghana Heritage and Conservation Trust.

Jonathan Nyaba, the programs manager of the facility told Joy News correspondent Richard Kwadwo Nyarko ?the site is now experiencing about 30% reduction of patrons.

According to him, appeals have been made to government that gets 60% of the revenue generated from the facility but nothing positive has come out of it.

The dwindling fortunes of the Kakum National park have a lot of repercussions for government?s revenue and the tourism industry in the country. The timely intervention of government to the rescue is needed to help the facility function effectively.

Source: ?Myjoyonline

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