Ghana Tourism Authority to license and regulate tour guides

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) is taking steps to register and license all tour guides and tourism enterprises to help regulate and standardize their operations in the country.

Mr Spencer Doku, Manager in-charge of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, who announced this said the aim is to ensure that tour guides and tourism sites operated within the confines of the rules and regulations of GTA.

He was speaking at a three-day refresher workshop on licensing for members of the Tour Guides Association of Ghana (TORGAG) from the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions in Kumasi.

Mr Doku said tourism is a multi-sectorial business and there was the need to coordinate its activities and strengthen partnerships to promote the growth of the industry in the country.

He said GTA is committed to responsible tourism, fairness, transparency and accountability, and would work to ensure that a good story was told about the Ghanaian cultural heritage.

Mr Doku advised tour guides to respect the right of customers and avoid engaging in any criminal activities that would bring the name of the industry and the country into disrepute.

They should also endeavour to register and be licensed by the Authority to avoid sanctions.

Mr Kwaku Pasaah, a participant, urged his colleagues to always provide accurate and truthful information to tourists.

He urged them to keep themselves abreast with developments in the field to help market the country to the international world, while ensuring the safety and security of their clients.

Mr Theophilus Acheampong, Ashanti Regional Director of GTA, said the training would afford the guides the chance to operate at the same level and bring some sanity in their operations.

He said the Authority would after the training embark on an exercise to clamp down all tourists sites without licenses.