The Akatsi North District Assembly (ANDA) in the Volta Region is making conscious efforts to promote tourism in the area to rake in more revenues for the assembly.
In furtherance of this, the assembly is putting in place measures to re-open the Ave-Dakpa Crocodile Resort Centre (CRC) which was closed down by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in 2021, following crocodile attack on a tourist.
The Akatsi-North District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Simon Peter Kofi Ofosu, who made this known at a press briefing at Ave-Dakpa, the district capital, said apart from the crocodile attack on a tourist, the facility did not meet acceptable standard of the GTA because the Resort was not licensed.
It was also operating without the supervision of the authorities, therefore, the assembly was collaborating with the Regional Tourist Authority to re-open the site.
Mr Ofosu said the assembly had enjoyed a healthy cooperation from the GTA, the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission (FC) and other relevant institutions with their guidance that would facilitate the re-opening of the crocodile entre.
According to the DCE, personnel of the Wildlife Division of the FC visited the Resort Centre, and gave technical advice on safety measures that should be put in place to ensure security of tourists, which was followed.
Mr Ofosu was hopeful that the GTA would soon give the assembly license to re-open the site to tourists, likely by the end of July 2023 in view of the intense preparations, including the building of Crocodile Resort Centre for final assessment with funding from the District Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT).
He, therefore, urged local and international tourists to visit Ave-Dakpa to see crocodiles in their natural habitation.
When contacted, the Deputy Volta Regional Director of the GTA, Alhaji Sulemana Amadu said his outfit was satisfied with the level of cooperation from the assembly to pave the way for re-opening of the Crocodile Resort Centre.
Alhaji Amadu stressed that it was only when the assembly adhered to technical advice from experts like the Game and Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, the Ghana National Fire Service, the police and his outfit to create an enabling environment for tourists that the centre would be licensed.
He blamed the situation where a tourist was attacked, and bitten by a crocodile on lack of preparation towards taming such endangered species, and assured that his outfit was on top of the issues to ensure that preventive measures had been put in place.
The Deputy Director said it was in the right direction for the Akatsi-North District Assembly to engage experts in the ongoing plans towards the re-opening of the site, which would be standard and safe to all tourists who visit the area.
Alhaji Amadu noted that tourism was about bringing people together, and any negative acts that shy tourists away should not be accepted.
He advised the assembly to ensure that guards were properly trained to take tourists round the centre whenever they visit the area.
