Eastern Region holds seventh tourism awards night

New Tafo(ER), May 29, GNA - Mr Martin Mireku, Acting Executive Director of Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) last Saturday said the board would renew licenses of hoteliers and other tourism operators who made staff training a core part of their business.

He asked tourism operators to exhibit clear commitment to training or risk being sanctioned as the board would no longer tolerate the rate of poorly trained professionals and skilled personnel in the sector that affected service quality.

Mr Mireku gave the directive at the Seventh Eastern Region Tourism Awards night at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at New Tafo.

He reminded tourism operators, the incentives provided under the promulgated Tourism Investment Law and the exemptions and tax holidays to hotel, catering, car rentals, conference centres, campsite operators and described them as "unprecedented in the tourism history of the country."

However, Mr Mireku noted with concern that despite these laudable efforts by the Government most of the operators continued to "exhibit lack of commitment to training" thereby compelling GTB to use the renewal of licensing as a trump card to enforce standards. Eighteen individuals and institutions were honoured for their contribution to tourism development in the region in 2005. Under the Competitive Category six individuals including Mr Stephen Opare, a taxi driver was mentioned for exceptional services. Chris Caf=E9 was adjudged the best Fast Food Joint of the Year, Capital View Hotel, the best 2-3 Star Hotel, Adweso Goil Drinking Spot, the Best Drinking Bar and Senchi River Resort, the Best Guest House of the Year.

Others were, Volta Hotel, Akosombo, for outstanding contribution to Tourism Development and Promotion, CRIG, Visitor Attraction of the Year and Mr Fiifi Tarkor of Volta River Authority (VRA) at Akuse, the best Site Guide for 2005.

Mr Mireku explained that such penalties were essential because of the Government's desire to increase tourist arrival in Ghana to one million with projected corresponding receipts of 1.5 billion dollars by 2015 from the current margins of 800 million dollars realized last year.

Mr Yaw Barimah, Eastern Regional Minister in an address read for him, stressed the need for GTB to collaborate with Metropolitan, Municipal, District Assemblies and tourism operators to hasten the growth of tourism development in the region. He stressed the need for tourism operators to refine their packages to meet the taste of their clients to put the region firmly on the global tourism market.

Mr Sampson Donkoh, Eastern Regional Manager of GTB called on Government to provide more resources to the Board to enable it discharged its duties more efficiently and effectively. Nana Adjei Twini, National President of Ghana Hoteliers Association, expressed appreciation of the association to Government for reducing corporate tax paid by operators from 25 per cent to 22 per cent.

He urged hoteliers to respond favourably to these incentives to benefit from more tax holidays in future.