The 2014 Paragliding Festival took off smoothly Good Friday atop the Odweano Mountain at Kwahu Atbie until late afternoon when flights were cancelled due to bad weather.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Julius Debrah, had officially opened the annual festival earlier in the day, as passengers took turns to fly under a bright, conducive weather.
But around 4pm, a cloudy weather followed by downpour compelled the 15 pilots from the US, Thailand, Peru, Belgium, Japan and other foreign countries to call off flights.
Between 350 and 400 passengers are expected to fly during the festival which ends on Monday, according to officials of the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The fee for one flight is GH¢200. That is a 100 per cent increase from last year’s fee of GH¢100, but the increase in fee is not a deterrent to anxious passengers.
The annual paragliding festival, which is organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has become a major activity on the Kwahu Easter calendar in recent years.
Away from the Odweanoma Mountains at Atibie, many towns on the Kwahu Ridge are buzzing with music and entertainment activities, as Easter revellers warm up into the ecstatic atmosphere that characterises the occasion.
The large number of people visiting Kwahu has resulted in a business boom for hotel, restaurant, commercial vehicle, drinking bar and mobile telecommunication operators, as they cash in on the windfall.
There is heavy security presence in Kwahu, as police officers, especially, are seen at vantage points, either directing traffick or parading the streets with the view to maintaining law and order.