Enhancing Hospitality Industry - a Call for Partnership From Stakeholders

By Sheila A. WILLIAMS

The annual national awards for hotels in Ghana has been launched in Accra with a call to government, individuals, and industry players to come on board to partner with the association through funding of such events.

Organisers say partnership would help boost the Hospitality Industry.

The 3rd Ghana Hotel Associations (GHA) awards is themed: "Harnessing the Economic Potential of the Hotel Industry through Technology, Innovation and Cost Reduction" and is scheduled to be held on 20th January, 2018 in Accra.

The award has 23 categories and is targeted at helping members of the association and players within the hotel industry to give their best to customers and clients, both local and foreign.

The hotel industry, if properly nurtured and accompanied by the creation of proper avenues, would continue to train a lot of the youth and provide more jobs, both direct and indirectly.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Ekow Simpson, the Assistant Executive Director, Ghana Tourism Authority, commended the body for organizing this annual awards and urged the industry players to help push the Tourism and Hospitality industry higher to boost the economic importance of the Industry. "It's an opportunity industry, and more attention needs to be given to the industry since it contributes millions to the development of the country, through both direct and indirect jobs," he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of Africa Regent Hotel, Mr John Kufuor, stated that the future of the hospitality industry, especially hotel accommodation, was technology. He urged the hotel industry players to improve on the standard of their services.

"Hotels are changing all over the world, and the forecast was that technology would assume the duties of hotel employees, where from booking to checking in and checking out, would be done with technology without contact with a single individual and so the government needed to put in greater internet infrastructure to drive the hospitality industry."

The chairman of the awards selection committee, Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr, highlighted that "the 3rd annual awards selection would be done purely by assessment of every hotel in good standing, by visiting all hotels in the various regions of Ghana.

"The award is to encourage and motivate the various hotels for hard work and commitment over the years. The night is promise to be filled with fun, entertainment, night of gilts, night of acknowledging players in the hotel industry," he added.

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