Africa-Press – Ghana. The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has embarked on regulatory compliance exercise in the Ashanti Region to clamp down on illegally operating accommodation facilities in the region.
The Authority has already identified 203 tourism facilities,which are operating illegally in the region.
The Authority on the first day of the regulatory compliance exercise, closed down six illegally operating accommodation facilities in the region.
The facilities included Champion International Hotel-Santasi, Nana Sarbeng Memorial Hotel- Dekyemso, Chasfab Guest House- Duase, Ayigya Hotel- Ayigya, Saga City Hostel-Ayeduase, and Lienda Ville Hostel-Ayeduase.
Workers of the affected facilities, who were present at the time of the exercise were asked to sign an Enforcement of Regulatory Compliance Undertaking Form in the absence of their employers.
A copy of the signed forms were left with the workers and the others taken away by the GTA to keep track of the facilities that have been closed.
Notices of closures were posted on the doors and other vantage areas of the facilities to warn the public.
The keys to the facilities, accommodation rooms, and log books were confiscated and customers, who were lodging at the time of the exercise were given till evening to relocate to another facility.
However, hostel facilities that housed students were given four days to report to the GTA to acquire a valid license to continue operating.
The exercise, led by Mr Frederick Adjei-Rudolph, the Ashanti Regional Director of the GTA, would last till the end of August to ensure that all 203 illegally operating facilities were visited.
The GTA team of enforcers were accompanied by police officers to promote peace, security and apprehend violent owners or workers.
Mr Adjei-Rudolph told the Ghana News Agency in an interview during the exercise that it was the mandate of the GTA, in compliance to the Tourism Act 817 of 2011, to register and issue valid licenses to all tourism enterprises to operate in the region.
In cases where tourism enterprises failed to register with and or obtain a valid license to operate from the GTA, it had the right to enforce the law by closing down the facilities.
Mr Adjei-Rudolph mentioned that some of the affected facilities did not meet the required standards to be registered and licensed, while others that had been registered had not obtained their valid operational license.
He said before the exercise began, the GTA made sure to continuously remind tourism enterprises captured under the Accommodation, Food and Beverage/Entertainment and the Travel Trade to apply for their valid operational license.
However, about 203 identified illegal facility operators refused to adhere to the GTA, hence, the need for those facilities to be shut down.
In 2024, the Ashanti Regional Ghana Tourism Authority registered and licensed 854 accommodation facilities, 78 travel trade enterprises, 66 food and beverage facilities and three entertainment centres in the region.
For More News And Analysis About Ghana Follow Africa-Press
