The Kakum National Park is poised to welcome more than 20,000 tourists in December 2023, according to the Executive Director of the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT), Isadore Armah.

This projection reflects an impressive 18.81 per cent increase from the 16,833 visitors recorded in December 2022.

Mr Armah is optimistic of achieving the target of 150,000 tourists for the entire year, marking a 15.38 per cent increase from the 130,000 visitors in 2022.

The park has already recorded 4,392 tourist entries from Friday, December 1 to Sunday, December 3, indicating a robust start to the month of visitations.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Armah expressed readiness to provide an exceptional experience for all visitors, emphasising the park's commitment to quality customer service, hospitality, and its unique natural offerings.

“Local and international tourists' arrivals are peaking. We are amazed at the bookings and entries, especially from corporate bodies, institutions, schools, and families.

"The Kakum National Park is Ghana's finest multipurpose eco-hub for tourism, recreation, and academic research,” Mr Armah noted.

He attributed the surge in visitors not only to the traditional December peak but also to the “Beyond the Return” initiative by the government and welcomed all home and abroad to explore the park's attractions.

The renowned Canopy Walkway features seven suspended bridges connecting sighting platforms around the trunk of majestic trees.

It welcomes visitors to explore a forest route to admire the diverse vegetation of the evergreen rainforest, with tall deciduous trees reaching up to 65 meters.

Fun for many are also the Sun Bird Trail that offers a journey through three different ecosystems: the rainforest, secondary forest, and an aquatic environment near a pond.

This allows visitors to witness various bird species and observe how different ecosystems support distinct wildlife.

Mr Armah said visitors also have the opportunity to take a guided tour around the medicinal plants with park rangers accompanying guests along a path to illustrate the healing properties of the plants, sharing insights into their uses and traditional significance.

He assured that the management of the park was actively enhancing publicity and promotions to schools, institutions, and individuals to further boost visitations.

He expressed delight that many schools had shown keen interest in visiting the facility to educate students about the importance of environmental conservation for them to appreciate the need to preserve the environment to minimise climate change.

The facility, inaugurated in 1995, is a highlight of the park designed by Canadian engineers, using materials from the forest.

The forest was reserved in 1931 and recognized as a National Park in 1992 whilst the Park forms the Kakum Conservation Area with the Assin Attandanso Resource Reserve. Spanning 145 square miles (375 square km), the conservation area is named after the Kakum River, originating from this protected region.