The Ghana Tourism Authority has promised to intensify its campaign against unregistered hospitality facilities across the country.
According to the Deputy CEO in Charge of Operations at the Ghana Tourism Authority Ekow Samson, the goodwill that Ghana’s tourism industry is enjoying can be negatively affected if unregulated facilities are allowed to exist.
Speaking to Citi Business News on the GTA’s efforts to cleanse the industry of illegal and substandard facilities, Mr. Samson said a nationwide task force will be working from this week to deal with any unauthorized businesses in the tourism sector.
“The seriousness of the existence of illegal facilities is the security aspect of it. Such facilities serve as a haven for criminals and miscreants and we need to ensure we get rid of them. From this week the task force is going to go round to inspect restaurants, hotels, car rentals, travel and tours, and the likes, to cleanse the system.”
The Authority, as part of its efforts to cleanse the hospitality industry of illegal and substandard facilities, collaborated with the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service to shut down KTV 86 Chinese Restaurant and Bar in Accra.
The facility which is located in Labone was closed down on Monday 10th June 2019 for operating illegally and under poor sanitary conditions. The police say they have received a tip-off about the facility being used as a brothel for Chinese nationals and are currently investigating the matter.
In an interview with Citi Business News, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at the GTA, Jones Nelson explained the situation saying: “We had information from the Regional Police Command that this restaurant at Labone that is KTV Chinese Restaurant is operating an undercover brothel and per the laws of Ghana, such an operation is illegal.
The Ghana Tourism Authority on the 3rd of June this year commenced a nation-wide enforcement exercise to clamp down on tourism enterprises operating without license from the Authority. The Tourism authority says it has since completed its exercise in Accra will continue the exercise in Tema.