Published on September 13, 2025
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has closed astir 45 unregistered aliases improperly licensed hospitality establishments successful Ghana’s Eastern Region successful a awesome effort to modulate nan recreation and tourism industry. In bid to uphold precocious standards successful nan nation’s expanding tourism sector, nan authority carried retired a compliance inspection anterior to this enforcement. As required by Ghana’s Tourism Act, nan action intends to safeguard visitors while making judge operators adhere to nan correct protocols.
A Stringent Action to Safeguard Standards
The closure of these establishments, which includes hotels, impermanent houses, and restaurants, has been deemed basal by nan GTA. The determination was made aft it was discovered that these businesses were either operating without due registration aliases pinch expired licences. Such violations not only breach nan Tourism Act (817, 2011) but besides discuss nan information and comfortableness of visitors visiting Ghana’s celebrated destinations.
In caller months, nan authority has been strengthening its efforts to reside nan increasing number of unlicensed operations successful nan hospitality industry. By enforcing compliance, nan GTA intends to heighten nan wide tourism experience, ensuring that only morganatic and well-regulated businesses cater to visitors. This move follows akin actions successful different regions, wherever galore businesses were besides unopen down for not gathering required standards.
Locations Affected by nan Closures
The affected businesses were dispersed crossed respective towns and cities successful nan Eastern Region, an area known for its vibrant tourism scene. The closures included a operation of high-profile establishments and smaller, lesser-known impermanent houses. Some of nan cardinal locations impacted by nan enforcement action include:
- Koforidua: Several impermanent houses, specified arsenic Ampser Guest House, Samaki Guest House, and Sky Queency Guest House, were closed for operating without valid licences.
- Somanya: Nene Ekpkeu, different hospitality establishment, was besides unopen down arsenic portion of nan inspection.
- Asesewa: Two accommodation successful Asesewa, including Huhunya Rocks Hotel and Clemento Guest House, were recovered successful usurpation of tourism regulations.
- Adome: Wadiva Waterfront Inn successful Adome was closed for not gathering nan required standards group distant by nan tourism authority.
- Akosombo: NP Plaza Hotel, located successful nan celebrated tourer destination of Akosombo, was besides among nan establishments unopen down.
Other areas affected included Senchi, Akim Awenare, Akyem Tuma, and galore more, pinch a wide array of accommodations impacted by nan enforcement.
Ensuring Safe Tourism Practices
The GTA’s location head for nan Eastern Region stressed that nan closure of these establishments was an basal measurement successful upholding nan value of tourism experiences successful nan country. By ensuring that each hospitality accommodation run successful compliance pinch nan applicable laws, nan GTA intends to safeguard nan estimation of Ghana arsenic a destination for safe and reliable tourism.
Many of nan affected businesses had been antecedently warned astir their non-compliance but continued operations contempt nan deficiency of due registration aliases licence renewal. With this crackdown, nan GTA intends to nonstop a clear connection that specified violations will not beryllium tolerated and that stringent measures will beryllium taken to protect some nan section and world tourism community.
Legal Action and Future Plans
The Ghana Tourism Authority plans to return further ineligible action against nan operators of nan closed businesses. This includes imaginable prosecutions to enactment arsenic a deterrent for others who whitethorn see violating nan country’s tourism laws. The government’s stance connected these closures reflects its broader imagination to beforehand sustainable and responsible tourism while maintaining precocious standards for safety, hygiene, and customer restitution successful nan sector.
This inaugural is aligned pinch nan government’s larger scheme to create nan tourism assemblage into a awesome driver of economical growth. In summation to improving nan value of tourism services, nan authorities seeks to create much occupation opportunities and guarantee that tourism-related businesses lend to nan broader economical landscape.
Broader Implications for Ghana’s Tourism Industry
While nan closure of these accommodation whitethorn person short-term consequences for immoderate operators, nan semipermanent effect is expected to beryllium beneficial for Ghana’s tourism industry. By tightening regulations, nan GTA intends to build a stronger and much competitory marketplace for tourism successful nan country. Tourists who take Ghana arsenic a recreation destination tin beryllium assured that nan accommodation they sojourn are safe, regulated, and of precocious quality.
As Ghana continues to create its tourism infrastructure, specified steps are important successful ensuring that nan state is prepared to grip nan influx of world visitors. Whether it’s nan vibrant culture, earthy beauty, aliases historical landmarks, Ghana has overmuch to offer, and it is basal that nan tourism acquisition remains affirmative and up to world standards.
Other Regional Actions
This crackdown is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, akin inspections were conducted successful nan Bono and Ahafo regions, wherever 76 hospitality accommodation were closed for operating without licences. These location inspections person now go a regular portion of nan GTA’s efforts to modulate nan tourism manufacture and support value standards crossed nan country. The closure of these unlicensed businesses is portion of an ongoing effort by nan authority to guarantee nan sustainability and maturation of nan tourism sector.
Conclusion
An important measurement toward raising nan calibre of nan nation’s tourism assemblage has been taken pinch nan Ghana Tourism Authority’s caller enforcement action against unlicensed hospitality enterprises successful nan Eastern Region. The authority is trying to make judge that Ghana continues to beryllium a celebrated recreation destination for group each complete nan world by placing a precocious privilege connected professionalism, safety, and compliance. Ghana’s position successful nan world tourism marketplace will beryllium strengthened done ongoing regularisation and enforcement of nan law, which will beforehand maturation and sustainability successful nan years to come.
[Image Source: Visit Ghana Official Website]