Ghana Tourism Authority has warned over 200 tourism sites to shut down operations
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has warned over 200 tourism enterprises and sites in the Ashanti Region to shut down operations due to non-compliance with regulatory conditions.
The affected businesses include hotels, motels, guest houses, restaurants, and drinking bars among others
According to the Ashanti Regional Director of GTA, Frederick Adjei-Rudolph, the authority will team up with security agencies to ensure strict enforcement of regulations.
Facilities that fail to meet regulatory standards will be closed down, despite opportunities for negotiation within the law.
The GTA identified various infractions, including non-collection of operational licenses, unregistered and unlicensed tourism enterprises, registered but not licensed facilities, unqualified tourism enterprises, and tourism levy defaulters.
He noted the authority aims to protect the public from sub-standard facilities and services, promote fair competition, and enhance industry standards.
To enforce compliance, the GTA, along with the Ghana Police Service and the Press, will visit identified illegal operators, sign closure undertakings with facility management, post closure stickers, confiscate keys if necessary, and provide lists of enforced facilities to the police for monitoring.
The GTA is calling on industry associations, the Ghana Police Service, and the media to support the exercise by sensitizing members to obtain valid operational licenses, providing protection for the Enforcement Team, and propagating the need for compliance with regulatory requirements.
Tourism businesses are urged to review their operations and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements to avoid closure.
