Tourism operators agree to improve standards

Accra, May 9, GNA - Operators in the tourism industry on Friday agreed that there was the need to work together to improve standards in the industry.

Mr. Martin Mireku, Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board, bemoaned the falling standards in the tourism industry and said: "Standards are falling even though prices of hotel rooms continue to go up."

He was speaking at a meeting between the Ghana Tourist Board and the Private Sector Trade Associations, including the Tour Operators Union of Ghana, Drinking Bars Association, Chop Bars Association, Chefs Association, Car Rentals Association, Tour Guides Association and West African Tourism Union.

Members emphasized the need for all those in the tourism industry to belong to the trade associations so that their activities could be streamlined and they could together work to improve the falling standards in the industry.

Mr. Kwaku Boateng, a tour guide, who shared experience bordering on the falling standards, said their work and services provided were sometimes embarrassingly below accepted standards. He said to remedy such embarrassing situations there was the need for operators to employ qualified staff who understood tourism and its effects on national development. Mr. Mireku announced that the board would start an enforcement exercise from June 1 and called on operators to comply with the standards of the Board. The exercise is to ensure quality control in the industry and Mr Mireku cautioned that, "come the first week of June those who do not want to belong to the industry should suspend their operations". "We do not want to use force to ensure quality control; if you cannot comply seek assistance from the board or suspend your operations."

He called for stronger collaboration between the private sector and public agencies to ensure that the industry grew as expected. Mr. Mireku commended the private sector for their efforts in helping to market Ghana abroad. He said the GTB, however, made progress in the other areas, including tourists' arrivals and revenue generated from these arrivals. Mr. Mireku introduced client services charters which spell out improved ways of relating to clients in the tourism industry and urged private operators to comply with them. Mr. Edwin Owusu-Mensah, Acting Deputy Executive Director, mentioned inadequate promotional materials in other languages other than English, inadequate promotional activities within the sub-region, inadequate logistics and lack of cooperation from some members of the private sector as some major challenges faced by the Board. He said most of the hotels and restaurants fell short of some basic requirements and services and emphasised the need for improved services.