By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Oct 28, GNA – The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), through Ghana CARES Obaatan pa programme, has commenced a two-day capacity-building training on product development for up-market hospitality facilities in Accra.
The training is a continuation of a series of training programmes targeted at the tourism and hospitality industry to build their resilience to withstand the impact of COVID-19 on the industry.
Mr Ben Anane Nsiah, Deputy Chief Executive, General Services, GTA, said the tourism component of the Ghana CARES programme included a series of training and capacity-building initiatives to gradually build the muscles of the industry by introducing new global trends to enable it to bounce back.
He said today’s training was purposely to help businesses become more flexible and agile to introduce more products that would target more domestic residents to lessen their vulnerability to external shocks.
“We are still gradually building the muscle of the industry, still introducing them to global trends trying to let them see a little beyond the box and beyond what is established and trying to navigate all the many shocks that are possible.”
Mr Anane said it was also to introduce industry players to new trends that would enable them to increase revenue trends, for them to explore and venture into other events and ventures to maximize revenue from all corners.
He said the target was mainly for those in the upstream hospitality market from the three to five-star hotels within the southern part of the country because they had more room and resources to innovate, and the capacity to conceptualize different ways of doing things for profit in their organisation.
He noted that the training would be replicated for other players across the country to enable them to bounce back fully from the effect of the COVID -19 pandemic and grow the domestic tourism numbers to be insulated from global dominance.
Dr Kobby Mensah, University of Ghana Business School, and Facilitator for the training, said after the effect of COVID-19, the sector had seen some growth, but not as expected so there was the need to start building capacities as part of a resilient building for the sector to recover properly.
“If we give them training in new areas and trends like technology, it means that we are preparing them to take advantage not only of the recovery but also in preparation towards other unforeseen crises.”
Some participants expressed their appreciation to the GTA for the initiative because coming out from the COVID-19 experience more knowledge, experience and collaboration were needed to move the industry forward.
“We are going back to our facilities with a lot of ideas on what to add to what we are already offering in terms of product development and service delivery to meet the various expectations of customers, make them happy and sustain them.”
GNA