Calls for the private sector to partner government to develop the tourism sector to boost economic growth of the country has been louder.
Experts regard the private sector as a key driver of growth, with the financial muscle to turn initiatives into reality.
It is a truism that the tourism sector holds immense potential to significantly contribute to national development through revenue generation, provided it receives the necessary support and attention from the government.
However, the excuse has often been that the government alone cannot shoulder every responsibility due to the sheer weight of demands competing for attention from meagre resources it generates to attend to critical sectors of the economy.
Sectors such as health, education, road infrastructure are top priority areas of every government, making the tourism sector appear a non-competitive sector despite its huge potential.
A private developer has taken a groundbreaking step to revamp the Kunsu slave caves, a promising eco-tourism destination in the Kintampo North Municipality of the Bono East Region, and the move is truly a heartwarming news.
The initiative aims to position the site as one of Ghana’s premier tourist and spiritual destinations.
The Kunsu slave caves, with a circumference of about two kilometres is a formation of rocks and caves hold significant historical importance.
Standing out is a big rock that looks like a natural auditorium which leads to series of caves and all these surrounded by trees.
With a little development the site could attract a lot of patrons.
Oral tradition recounts that notorious slave raiders such as Babatu and Samore used the site as a transit point during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Slaves were reportedly transported from Salaga in the Savannah Region to Kunsu, where they were kept in caves before continuing to Bono-Manso near Techiman and subsequently to the coastal forts and castles for shipment overseas.
Prophet Okure Asamoah, the developer spearheading the project told journalists that the site would be upgraded to a global prayer sanctuary fitted with eco-tourism facilities.
He explained that the sanctuary would serve both religious and tourism purposes and generate revenue for national development, saying “Over the next three years, the project will see the construction of accommodation and sanitation facilities to make the area habitable”.
During a recent visit, construction of temporary shelters was underway, and land was being prepared for religious gatherings.
“I intend to construct a helipad and other modern infrastructure that can attract high-profile personalities, including presidents, religious leaders, and tourists from across the world,” Prophet Asamoah stated.
He acknowledged the capital-intensive nature of the project and called on private investors to partner with him to bring the vision to life.
Tour guide and local historian, Mr Joseph Asiedu, recounted that the people of Kunsu originally migrated from Nkoranza and settled about four kilometres from the caves.
He explained that the caves were first used as hiding places during times of war, particularly to protect women and children. This earned the site the name ‘Bougyema’ literally meaning “rock that saves wives and children”.
Mr Asiedu added that over time, the caves became a temporary holding ground for enslaved captives transported from communities such as Prang and Abaase enroute to the coast.
Despite the historical significance of the site, several appeals by the Kunsu Traditional Authority to have the area developed yielded little result.
He recalled that the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) made an attempt in the mid-2000s to develop the site, but later abandoned the plan, leaving the local community disheartened.
The Bono East Regional Director of GTA, Mr Joseph Appiagyei, when contacted confirmed the site’s historical value and expressed support for its development.
“If the private sector is coming on board to help, I will not object. What I will raise concern about is if their activities conflict with tourism objectives,” he noted.
He pointed out that Kunsu is blessed with several untapped tourism assets, including the historic slave market, slave routes and waterfalls.
Mr. Appiagyei added “With the right attention, the area could attract significant visitor traffic and generate substantial revenue for the tourism sector”.
The bold and strategic steps being taken by Prophet Okure to develop the Kunsu slave caves is what Ghana requires to transform the tourism sector, create the needed multiplier effect to eventually deal with the country’s unemployment situation.
The writer is a journalist
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danieldzirasah80@gmail.com
BY DANIEL BRUCE DZIRASAH