Wa, Feb. 24, GNA – Dr. Joseph Mensah Ansah, the National President of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), has advised the industry operators to make good customer service an integral part of their service delivery through regular capacity building and training for their employees.
He said there was the need for the country to develop and operate a national tourism and hotel school for continuous training of the industry’s actors to help develop the sector.
“It is important the employees are constantly trained in some of the advanced skills that will be needed as changes emerges in the hospitality environment, which will play a more critical role in the post pandemic era,” he said.
Dr Ansah said this on Thursday during the opening of the 11th Biennial Congress of the GHA, on the theme: “Resilience and Sustainability of the Hotel Industry in Ghana”.
The congress would among other things, elect executives to steer the affairs of the association for the next four years, discuss the proposed E-levy, copyright issues, hike in fuel prices, and the high cost of living in the country.
Dr. Ansah said a communiqué would be issued at the end of the congress on the outcome of the deliberations, which would then be presented to the government.
The GHA President said the hospitality industry was the worst affected by COVID-19 pandemic though the intervention by the government, including travel restrictions has manage the spread of the virus in the country.
He said the industry had endured the devastating impact of the pandemic and had bounced back to its functional levels.
Mr Abu K. Kansangabata, the Upper West Regional Chairman of the GHA, indicated that the cost of utility, taxes and fees charged by regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) affects the hospitality industry.
He said these charges have resulted in the high cost of the services provided by the industry and appealed to the government to “grant the industry some special concessions that will lessen our expenditure.”
Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf urged the GHA to use the congress to discuss ways to attract investors into the sector to spur the needed development.
He urged the GHA to prioritize the security of the country by monitoring and ensuring that suspicious characters who lodged in their facilities were reported to the necessary security agencies for action.
“It has come to a time where you must prioritise public safety and interest over profit. We must also always prioritise the health of our clients,” he said.
“The government of Ghana will continue to support and collaborate with all stakeholders and partners in the hotel industry by providing the enabling environment for you to operate,” Dr Salih said.
Security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service as well as Heads of decentralized agencies and department attended the opening ceremony.
GNA