By Quansah Mavis
Tema, Oct. 18, GNA – The Ghana Progressive Hotel Association (GHAPROHA) is calling on stakeholders in the hospitality industry to invest in the promotion of hospitality attract more patronage.
Tourists do settle in hotels for relaxation; however, the hospitality industry is not being promoted, and it’s really affecting business.
The Reverend Emmanuel Geadda Asando, GHAPROHA National President said the increase in utility tariffs also affected their business as hotel operators, but guests were not directly charged for the usage of utilities.
Rev. Asando stated this during a stakeholder engagement organised by the association to discuss issues that affected the hospitality sector and suggested solutions to help improve the hotel business in Ghana.
He appealed to the government to channel their attention to the hospitality industry as one of the main components of tourism.
At the programme, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) educated hotel owners on possible causes of fire outbreaks, suggested some solutions, and elaborated on issues affecting hotel owners on fire.
Assistant Divisional Officer I (ADOI) Nana Kwame Kwapong, the Tema Metro Fire Safety and Operation Officer, mentioned that the safety of staff and guests was important and must be prioritised; however, it was not just a responsibility but a commitment that hotel owners must possess.
He explained that fire consists of three components: oxygen, which is 12 percent, but only 14 percent is needed to set fire, fuel, and heat.
“When these three components are in their right proportions, there will be fire, and to quench it, only one component is needed to be taken out,” he said.
ADO I Kwapong stated that the main causes of fire outbreaks are carelessness, ignorance, and arson, which is the deliberate setting of fire in a building or a vehicle.
“To put a stop to fire outbreaks, we must all take a collective responsibility to stop actions that will trigger fire outbreaks,” he said.
He advised hotel owners to use cylinders that are not faulty, avoid the habit of putting stones on faulty cylinders, and distance their cylinders from their stoves or sources of heat.
He also mentioned that when individuals sense the smell of gas in their kitchens or enclosed areas, they should not turn on the light or move in with their phones but rather open all windows to help ventilate the room.
Supporting the submission, Divisional Officer II (DOII) Richmond Vanderpuye disclosed that, during their visit to some hospitality industries, they realised that facility owners have more than one fire service officer, which creates problems for the hotel owners when it comes to the accountability of their fire safety.
He mentioned that the hospitality industry needed a yearly service assessment to check the fire safety equipment in their facilities to see if it is adequate for operation and advised business owners to call GNFS to inspect their fire extinguishers used in the hotels because of the service provided and the number of extinguishers they employ to service their equipment.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, DO II Vanderpuye shared that the GNFS visit hotels to inspect their equipment yearly to ensure that they have the fire certificate, safety protections, accessibility, and means of exit before the renewal of their hotel certificate.
He also advised hotel owners to strengthen their security system, take detailed records of guests that patronise their hotel to help the GNFS in matters of arson, and do their best to work with the nearest fire service station to prevent the operation of imposters that come in the name of fire service.
GNA