A leisure facility built around the Ayafie Waterfall has been launched for the purposes of tourist attraction. The Chiefs and people of Gbadzeme, in the Avatime Traditional Area on Saturday held a durbar to launch facility. The Waterfall, said to be little known, is a 40 meter tumble of the perennial River Oteahavor, from the mountains of Amedzofe, where it originates, down the scarps at the precincts of Gbadzeme. Mr Emmanuel Kofididi, the sole developer till now, said he identified the area as a "hot tourist attraction" in 1998, and had since cultivated decorative plants and fruits, worth nearly GHC 2,000, around the fall to make it an attractive resort. He added the natural swimming pool created by the Waterfall, the caves and other ravines holding clean water should make the area "a place to want to go". Mr Kofididi however noted the Centre, which has a resting place, is mainly visited by local tourist with a few coming from foreign lands lately. The Paramount Chief of the Avatime Traditional Area, Osie Adjatekpor VII, stressed that time was due to vigorously market the area's wares, which include mountains, rivulets, ponds, streams, the temperate-like weather and greeneries, among others. Okoforobour Agyemang VII, Chief of Gbadzeme, also pointed out that the major challenge to the tourist industry in the area is the bad roads, which must be tackled by the government to kick-start the tourism business in the area. He said the area's latent traditional spinning industry would be revived to add value to the Avatime tourism wares. Mr Charles Obeng, Volta Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board said the Board would collaborate to get Gbadzeme on the World Tourism Map. He recommended that its potentials be packaged for presentation at the forthcoming Volta Region Investment Fair in Ho. Mr Obeng urged the inhabitants to identify themselves with the project for it to gain full community support. Meanwhile, government is constructing a major highway from Sogakope through Adidome to Ho and up the mountains to Amedzofe and down to Fume on the Ho-Hohoe trunk road, which could make a considerable impact to the economic fortunes of the area when completed. Source: GNA