Stakeholders in the tourism sector say an improvement in the standards of service from Informal Food and Beverage vendors could boost earnings for the tourism sector. According to them such vendors make up about 80 percent of food and beverage vendors in the country.
In an attempt to enhance standards in the informal food and beverage sector, a nationwide training and sensitization workshop is being organized by the Ghana Tourism Authority for vendors.
According to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer in Charge of Operations at the Ghana Tourism Authority Ekow Samson, the importance of such a training exercise for Ghana’s tourism sector cannot be underestimated.
“As you know this is the year of return, and we are also trying to promote the EAT GHANA concept. You can’t promote these this if the informal vendors are not trained about basic hygiene and quality service delivery.”
The workshop was used to deliver presentations on food safety and hygiene, food and beverage services, as well as finance and accounting basics for the running of a profitable venture.
For the dean of the graduate school at the Kumasi Technical University Dr. Patricia Darko, the earnings from the tourism sector can be improved if standards are enhanced.
“Ghana is so resourced geographically and in talent among others. So if we are able to harness our food tourism potential then the sky will be the limit with the resources we can bring in if we train our informal vendors.”
While vendors at the program commended the GTA for the training and sensitization workshop, they called for more frequent follow-ups on location to ensure members were complying. Vidda Seadey is the National Public Relations Officer of the Indigenous Caterers Association of Ghana.
“We’ve been having such programs, with the latest being the beginning of this year. The main problem is that they don’t do follow ups. After such training programs we wish they would come around to enforce the rules and standards.”