The 2025 Kwahu Paragliding festival is underway at the Odweanoma Paragliding site in Kwahu, with more than 200 people expected to take flight this year.
Already, seven tandem pilots have taken off with 13 passengers, setting the stage for a vibrant Easter celebration.
To add to the excitement, the Ghana Tourism Authority has introduced a range of new activities to engage visitors at the site. These include indoor games and a designated children’s playground, all designed to make the event more inclusive and enjoyable for families.
Rev. Jones Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority, highlighted the expanded offerings and flight expectations.
“This year, we have added a few activities to make it very interesting. We’ll be having some playing cards, ludo, oware, skating and others, as well as laying areas for children. And we are hoping that if we have favourable weather, we’ll have like 200 flights. We have done 200 and over 200 before.”
Even as the festival draws crowds, concerns persist over the poor condition of the road leading from Atibie to the paragliding site.
Drivers on the Mpraeso-Atibie stretch stated that repeated promises by successive governments to fix the road have not been fulfilled.
“They charge us every year to fix the road, but the road hasn’t seen any improvement. It is difficult to ply on the road during the rainy season, so we plead with the government to come to our aid. They were charging us 5 cedis last year but 10 cedis for this year,” a commercial driver complained.
Meanwhile, excitement continues to build among thrill-seekers. Abigail Ashley, the first person to fly at this year’s festival, described the experience as exhilarating and urged the Ghana Tourism Authority to train local pilots and expand the event beyond Easter.
“The experience was fine. I wanted to do it, so I came with full vim and I conquered. I got a good pilot, so it made it more fun. Aside from the wind that blows against you in the beginning, the experience is great. This should be done regularly, they shouldn’t open up just for Easter.”
As festivities continue, organisers are hopeful that favourable weather will allow all interested participants to enjoy their flight, making this year’s event another successful highlight on Ghana’s tourism calendar.