Paga Crocodile pond a hot mess

The Paga Crocodile Pond where people travel the world over to see the sacred crocodiles local believe bear the souls of their deceased is an eye sore. The site is a put off right from the entrance, the sign post, to the chalets and the stables where they keep cattle in transit. The hut which first greets visitors is shabby and so are the display boards with worn out leaflets which tour guides use to walk visitors through the history of the pond and nature of the crocodiles.

There are sections with over grown shrubs and green grass which make for unpleasant viewing. This may also be snake infested. Although the poor state of the environment does not entirely take away from the experience of spending time with the crocodiles at the pond, a well-developed and organised environment will enable relaxation and deep pleasure which can far add great value to make the experience worthy of the journey to see the crocodiles.

A visitor to the pond last weekend called it a complete joke, adding ” Is this what I travelled all the way here for? This is a waste of my time and resources.”

If Ghana is to make any headway in the tourism sector to advance development, then attention must be given to the country’s tourist attractions. Tour sites must be attractive to warrant attraction in order to yield the desired results. As it sits, the Paga Crocodile Pond is not only worthy of its reputation, it is an embarrassment to the nation and speaks to what little value if any the state places on national treasures and potential places of interest.

Government must seek to collaborate with the chief and people of Paga to bring the pond to a standard worth the value it holds. In this regard, re-packaging and strategic marketing can go a long way to help address the longstanding challenges facing the tourism sector.

The deteriorating state of the crocodile pond site must be killing the very souls of the perceived mystic crocodiles. The people of Paga should not have to live in poverty when they are sitting on a potential gold mine. Government must make efforts to bring experts to develop the pond site and its immediate surroundings for the mutual benefit of all concerned.

Source: Nubian-Entertainment