Hotels Association Calls For Stronger Collaboration With GTA

Story by Fada Amakye from Top radio

The Chairperson of the Ghana Hotels Association, Greater Accra Branch, Mrs. Clare Banoeng-Yakubo, has called for stronger collaboration between hoteliers and regulators.

Mrs. Banoeng-Yakubo, who is also the Manager of Hunters Royal Hotel at Madina, said this during the Association’s monthly general meeting in Accra.

She said the meeting brings members together to discuss issues concerning hotels, staff and the hospitality industry, and stakeholders like the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) are usually invited.

She explained that some members do not understand the work of GTA inspectors, especially when they visit hotels without prior notice to inspect receptions, rooms, kitchens and surroundings.

According to her, this sometimes creates tension, with inspectors being described as hard on hoteliers and some hoteliers also being hostile to inspectors.

She said the engagement with GTA was therefore to clarify what is expected of hoteliers to make inspections easier and to build good rapport.

She noted that the Greater Accra Branch has over 200 member hotels, although there are other hotels that are not part of the Association.

She said anyone who owns a hotel, guest house or budget hotel can join, adding that being part of an association makes members stronger when dealing with issues.

“We don’t regulate our members. We are law-abiding and we want to pay our levies, but we want to understand them,” she said. 

She added that with better understanding and good relations, both GTA and hoteliers will behave better during inspections.