The President of the Hotels Association of Ghana (HAG), Dr Edward Ackah Nyamike (Jnr), has called on the government to provide a conducive environment for the hotel industry to thrive, and contribute meaningfully to tourism promotion in the country.
The hospitality industry, he said, played vital roles in the promotion of tourism, and as a matter of urgency the government should create conditions, such as reduction in tariffs to help growth the industry.
The President of the HAG made the call during a health walk in Ho last Friday, as part of a year-long activities marking the 50th anniversary celebration of the Association on the theme: ‘50 Years of Advocacy, Perseverance and Impacting Ghana’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry.’
Dr Nyamike also stressed that the hospitality industry created over 80,000 direct and indirect jobs, mobilising revenue through taxes, levies and foreign exchange for national development.
He mentioned that the need for the government to pay attention to the hotel industry, which was at the centre of tourism promotion in the country, adding that the high cost involved in hotel management and high tariffs remained challenge to hotel operations in the country.
The President of the Association also urged the government to improve on tourism sites, provide good road networks, improved food production, which would lead to the reduction in the cost of food in the market since hotel management depended largely on food, urging hotel managements to also enhance the quality of service to their clients.
The Deputy Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr Sulemana Amadu, commended hotel operators for their continuous contribution to the promotion of the tourism industry of the country, and urged hotel managers to adhere to standard practices that will enable them to meet the expectations of their clients.
Mr Amadu further observed that as a result of the many taxes and levies hotel managers pays leads to some hotels not employing highly qualified staff because they would not be able to pay them, and they depended on non-professionals in their activities.
According to the Deputy Director, his outfit had regular training programmes for the staff of hotel operators in the Volta Region, to enable them to operate within acceptable international standards to meet the demands of their clients.
The Volta Regional Chairman of the Association, Henry Ampah Johnson, said the biggest threat to the hotel industry in the region was the “high” taxes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed on members of the Association, even though activities of hotels only involved wastewater that was properly disposed of without affecting the environment.
The 1,500 members of the HAG, lined up a-year-long anniversary celebration programme, including holding of symposium on the theme of the anniversary, unveiling of the anniversary cloth, and awarding members who distinguished themselves, while the celebration would be held in January 2026.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, HO
