President of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Edward Ackah-Nyamike, has welcomed the ‘Destination Ghana’ initiative launched by President Akufo-Addo in London.
Mr Ackah-Nyamike revealed that when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it affected the inflow of international visits to the country and also had an impact on the tourism sector. He explained that the initiative by government will significantly help in attracting more traffic to the country. A move, which he deems will help the sector rebound.
“Indeed, the launch of ‘Destination Ghana’ in London, is one of our expectations from the government and indeed the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, to spearhead the development of the tourism industry. I always say that the industry depends on the movement of people [and] thrives on the movement of people. So, anything that facilitates that movement is a welcome news… Destination Ghana is more of attracting international visits… So, it is something we are very happy about…”
Edward Ackah-Nyamike
Challenges confronting the hospitality industry
Commenting on the existing challenges for the hotel industry in Ghana, Mr Ackah-Nyamike bemoaned the gruelling impact of the pandemic on the sector. He explained that the industry has suffered a lot in the past two years. However, he noted that in the middle of 2021, members started seeing some “significant recovery” which has persisted since.
“We are looking forward to more traffic into the country, especially with some of the programs that GTA and the Ministry are rolling out, including this ‘Destination Ghana’; that aspect we believe can be handled… Probably, the other aspect is what you rightly mentioned [and] that has to do with the business climate, that has to do with the exchange rates, the hike in fuel prices; all the other micro economic indicators which we are all having challenges with. You know our industry is based on a lot of disposable income. So, when the cost of living goes high, it even affects the pocket and we also suffer in the process”.
Edward Ackah-Nyamike
Subsequently, Mr Ackah-Nyamike expressed that the Association anticipates a permanent resolution of these challenges especially with the number of campaigns that are being launched for the industry. He emphasized that once the challenges are resolved, it will be good news for the industry.
Considering the rising cost of fuel, cedi depreciation and other operational costs which predominantly affect the industry, Mr Ackah-Nyamike assured the public that when it comes to services, irrespective of the challenges on the ground, members are determined to provide services that will be appreciated by clients. As a consequent, he noted that the hotels have not limited their manner of services because of economic challenges in the system.
“What is happening now is that a lot of the hotels are looking at cutting cost as much as possible to see how they can reduce the cost so that the profit margins will be protected in a way. So, going forward, what we need to really think about is making the best out of the situation in terms of aggressive marketing [and] in terms of partnership with industry players. So that together, we can drive enough traffic to make up for the cost”.
Edward Ackah-Nyamike
The Destination Ghana initiative, a flagship tourism project, is intended to whip up interest among travellers around the world to look to Ghana to gratify their leisure and adventure needs. Riding on the back of vast ecological and unique heritage sites across the country, the project seeks to attract, by 2024, one million tourists annually from the United Kingdom and Europe.
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