The Ghana Tourist Authority, (GTA) has closed down some guest houses in the Bolgatanga municipality of the Upper East Region for operating either illegally or under poor conditions.
The two facilities affected under the first phase on an exercise to enforce standards were the Ghana National Association of Teachers, (GNAT) hostels and Gumah lodge on the Bolgatanga -Bawku Highway.
The 10 room GNAT Hostel has operating been operating for several years despite the fact that it was yet to receive license from the GTA. The security set up of the facility is not sound while operators do not have approve GTA receipts books.
Gumah Lodge on the other hand was not structurally sound and occupants were exposed to danger with crack walls and steep stairways which could easily collapse.Bed in some rooms were broken, while mattresses had sunk. Some mattresses were uncovered while electric switches were also broken down.
Officials of the GTA said the facility has not met all the needed Board not to operate in their own interest.Alhaji Hakim Ishmael, acting Regional Manager of GTA , who led a team of GTA officials and policemen to lock up those facilities, said this was part of measures to enforce acceptable standards.
He expressed concern about the situation where some of the hospitality facilities, without approved licenses from the Board, were doing brisk business and under sub-standard conditions adding a number of hotels and restaurants had been marked out for closure in the region.
He was particularly worried about the unhygienic conditions under which some of the hotels and restaurants worked, saying that, the GTA would never allow them to operate with impunity.
Alhaji Ishmael said the exercise would be sustained to bring sanity through best practices and maintenance of high standards in the industry.
He called on owners and managers of hotels and restaurants to co-operate with the Board to raise standards and attract more tourists.
writer's email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh
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