Cocoa museum to be developed at Mampong Akwapim

Accra July 27, GNA - A cocoa museum that would educate people about cocoa as a plant, its various uses and its processing is to be developed at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Farm at Mampong Akwapim in the Eastern Region to serve as a tourist attraction.

The farm apart from the many cocoa plants has three others that are purported to be the original ones planted by Tetteh Quarshie on his return from Fernando Po.

Mr Frank Kofigah, a Manager in charge of Planning and Management, at the Ghana Tourist Board announced this at a meeting with the press on land use plans for tourist sites. Six out of the 21 selected tourist sites earmarked for development to guide developers and investors have almost got to the final stage among, which is the Tetteh Quarshie farm.

A receptive facility that has a toilet, a restaurant, offices and a place of worship has been provided to give visitors a relaxing experience.

The Assin Manso Slave River in the Central Region, Kintampo waterfalls in the Brong Ahafo Region, Odweahoma observatory point at Atibie, the unique big tree at Akim Oda in the Eastern Region and Wli waterfalls in the Volta region are other sites that have gone through the planning stage.

The land use plan are part of efforts to help the Ministry of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City to achieve its strategic action plan, which is aimed at attracting one million tourists to the country by the year 2007.

The Salaga Slave Market and some slave sites in the three Northern Regions would also be developed, Mr Kofigah said, adding that the Board would seek opinions from the communities concerned before the final plan was prepared.

He urged the private sector to develop hotels near tourist sites to attract more tourists to the various sites and to Ghana as a whole. Mr Martin Mireku, Executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board, said there was the need to guide developers to avoid haphazard development in the country. "Tourism products development is a major concern to the Board to make sure that tourists enjoy sites in Ghana," he said. 27 July 05