The Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN), an international community tourism organisation, is to establish physical and digital identity centres in Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.
It is intended to promote tourism, preserve cultural heritage and create economic opportunities for residents.
The initiative, dubbed ‘’Royal Community Tourism Development Initiative’’, was launched in Paga on October 20, 2026 and is expected to document the community’s history, traditions, natural resources and historical sites while providing recreational facilities and creating platforms for cultural exchange and tourism development.
The project, championed by the CCTN Chairman, Jamaican tourism entrepreneur Roy Page, in collaboration with Dr Prince Tengol K. Kplemani, the network’s Ambassador for Africa, and the Paga Youth Movement, seeks to transform Paga into a community tourism hub capable of attracting visitors and investors from Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and the African diaspora.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Kplemani said the proposed identity centres would serve as museums and recreational facilities where residents and visitors could learn about Paga’s history, culture, traditional practices and natural resources.
He said the centres would be developed through collective community participation, with residents and traditional authorities contributing to decisions on their establishment and operation.
He explained that the facilities would bring together cultural displays, historical documentation and recreational activities, providing visitors with a comprehensive experience of the community’s heritage.
“The identity centres will be more like museums and recreational centres for all of us. Whatever we are showcasing today will be brought together there so that anyone who visits Paga can experience and understand our identity and culture,” he said.
Dr Kplemani said the initiative would also incorporate the proposed Know Thyself Africa-Caribbean Connectivity Initiative to strengthen historical and cultural connections between African communities and their descendants in the diaspora.
Mr Page said plans were underway to organise a chartered flight from Jamaica to Paga in March 2027 to bring tourists, businesspeople and potential investors to explore the community’s tourism attractions and establish business partnerships.
He said the visit would be part of efforts to attract investment into local enterprises, create employment and ensure that tourism generated sustainable income for residents.
GTA pledges support
The Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Joseph Appiagyei, said the GTA was prepared to collaborate with the initiative’s proponents by providing the necessary regulatory guidance and facilitating engagement with relevant authorities to support its implementation and called for peace.
The Chairman of the Paga Youth Movement (PAYOM), Wenawome Aborah Duriyem, said the youth were committed to working with traditional authorities, businesses and development partners to ensure the success of the initiative.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, expressed the government’s willingness to explore possible avenues of support to help the network achieve its objectives.
