The Eastern Regional Taskforce of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has vowed to weed out all illegally operating tourism and hospitality facilities in the region.
According to the regional office of GTA, beyond the fact that operating a hospitality facility without a valid operational license issued by GTA is an act of illegality, it also bothers on issues of compromising on standards of facilities, security and safety of patrons.
The Ghana Tourism Authority will, therefore, marshal all its resources to ensure that all operators that have complied and licensed by the Authority work in a very congenial atmosphere and supported accordingly, while those that constantly flout the law will be made to face the full rigours of the law.
In a press statement issued on Friday, June 28, 2019, and signed by Fredrick Adjei-Rudolph, Eastern Regional Manager of GTA indicates that, as a regulator of a service industry that is aimed at protecting the image of the country in a positive light.
To this, he mentioned that it would help to maintain and instil sanity in the industry by ensuring that operators comply with the rules, standards and laws that govern it whiles potential operators also meet all legal requirements to be able to practice.
He continued that, service delivery and safety of patrons to these tourism facilities cannot be taken for granted thus the Ghana Tourism Authority with strict adherence to its mandate and responsibility to maintain standards in compliance with ACT 817.
From this backdrop, the regional office of GTA embarked on three days exercise of three teams comprising of both the National and Regional Enforcement Task Force from the Authority aided by very professional officers from the Regional Police command were deployed to different parts of the region for an Enforcement Exercise to clamp down on all illegally operating facilities across the Region.
Physical closure of all identified Accommodation and Catering establishments that are operating without a Valid Operational License issued by the Ghana Tourism Authority was carried out without fear or favor.
At the end of the three days, a total number of thirty-one (31) facilities have been visited by the team for physical closure.
Management of Six (6) out of the number has quickly visited the office of the Authority in Koforidua, paid the necessary stipulated fees and are currently going through the documentary process of regularizing their operations.
The regional entreated all patrons of hospitality facilities to always look out for the GTA valid operational license (validity is 1st January to 31st December) which is supposed to be boldly displayed at the reception.
He has, therefore, encouraged that facilities without an operational license must not be patronized.
Source: Solomon K. Nuwordu/BrytFM/Joydaddymultimedia.com
