The Ghana Tourism Authority, GTA has shut down over 300 hotels and restaurants for operating illegally in the Eastern Region.
The facilities which included hotels and restaurants were closed down by the GTA during an inspection and enforcement exercise by its taskforce to ensure compliance with the GTA regulations as part of a nationwide exercise.
The operation took three days began from Tuesday, June 25, 2019, to Thursday, June 27, 2019.
The Eastern Regional Director of the GTA, Mr Frederick Adjei-Rudolph, in a statement after the exercise, said the GTA would continue to ensure that tourism facility owners complied with best practices for the delivery of standard services to their clients.
Three teams, made up of both the national and regional enforcement taskforces of the authority, aided by officers from the Regional Police Command, were deployed to different parts of the region to carry out the exercise. By the close of business last Thursday, the facilities closed down included Lambert Court Hostel and Ceewus Hostel, both at Brekusu; Madiba Hostel at Koforidua; Greater Grace Guest House at Kwabeng; Reggie Boat Hotel at Osabene; Elite Hotel; Supreme Hostel and Frontline Hostel, all in Koforidua.
Others are Cozy View Hotel and Soul Restaurant both at Kyebi; Star Gate Hotel at Kwahu Ntesu, Graceland Luxury Guest House at Akyem Oda and Omana Hotel at Asuom.
According to Mr Adjei-Rudolph, some operators such as Reggie Boat Hotel, Koforidua; Cozy View Hotel, Kyebi; Soul Restaurant, Kyebi; Richies of Glory Guest House, Kyekyewere; Supreme Hostel, Koforidua, and Mebendesly Lodge, Begoro, quickly visited the office of the authority in Koforidua immediately after their closure, paid the necessary stipulated fees and were currently going through the documentary process to regularise their operations.
He said that the regional taskforce would sustain the enforcement exercise throughout the year to weed out illegally operating tourism and hospitality facilities in the region.
“Beyond the fact that operating a hospitality facility without a valid operational licence issued by the Ghana Tourism Authority is an act of illegality, it also borders on issues of compromising on standards of facilities, security and safety of patrons.
''The Ghana Tourism Authority will, therefore, marshal its resources to ensure that all operators work in a very congenial atmosphere, while those that constantly flout the law will be made to face the full rigours of the law,†he said.
The statement entreated customers not to patronize facilities without operational licencesÂ
“We entreat all patrons of hospitality facilities to always look out for the Ghana Tourism Authority’s valid operational licence (validity is January 1 to December 31) which is supposed to be boldly displayed at the reception. Facilities without operational licences must not be patronised.â€Â