Tourism, Arts & Hospitality Outlook Diary: COVID-19 era tourism industry rapid reconstruction

PART THREE

The above-mentioned innovation and creative factor in man-made tourism resources is very strategic, essential and critical to evolve and create attractive and prominent traffic destinations and hubs.

Hospitality Industry – Neglected & Unsung Tourism Cash-Cow

THE HOSPITALITY sector and industry is an essential, crucial and strategic tourism subsector which covers food, beverages and entertainment industries, and has a huge impact on destination’s health and progress.

The industry is the second most tourism’s unique selling point (T-USP), behind culture in the tourism product-mix.

The Ghanaian Hospitality industry is the key and major pathfinder that has contributed immensely in diverse ways to shape and put Ghana on the tourism map as an infant fledging competitive destination.

Sectoral Performance

Ghana’s hospitality industry is the outstanding lead sector as the largest growth area that has seen sustained and improved growth in both quality and quantity in facility and bed supply year-on-year, to shape and impact positively to the country’s fledging infant tourism industry over the years.

Certified Data and Statistics on the state of Ghana’s hospitality industry and outlook made available to the Business and Financial Times tourism desk from the Standards and Quality Assurance (S&QA) Directorate of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Head office, Accra, revealed that as at the last quarter of 2021, there are 4,076 duly certified, licensed and accredited hospitality accommodation, catering and entertainment facilities of various classes, grades and standards located in the 16 regions across the country on the country’s hospitality register, with 5-Star as the foremost grading in the accommodation sub-sector, grade 3-Grade is the topmost for the food and beverage facilities operating at various locations across the country.

Players & Newsmakers

Notable among hospitality facilities in the Ghanaian tourism industry included Best Western Plus Hotel – Takoradi, Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel – Accra, Royal Senchi Resort – Senchi, La Palm Golden Beach Hotel, Golden Tulip Hotel, Elmina Beach, Holiday Inn, Marriot International, Alisa Hotels, Mahaa Beach Resort, Sogakope Beach Resort, Peduase Valley Resorts, Bojo Beach Resort, Papaye, Tang Palace, Movempick Ambassador, Accra City Hotels, among others.

The rest are Trafix Restaurant & Catering Service, Jofel Catering Services Limited, Ambar Restaurant, Catering Services & Agro-Processing Ltd., Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Pizza hut and others.

Others

Azmera, Akuapim Grill Restaurant, Barcelos Restaurant, Basilissa Restaurant, Daisu Restaurant, Captain Hooks, Food Inn, Frankies Restaurant, Marwako Fast Food, Melcom Coffee, Le Magellan, Imperial Perking Chinese, Dynasty Chinese, Honey Suckle, Jokers, Mckeown, Linda Dor, the Stage Restaurant, Hut d’Eric Restaurant, Asanka Locals and the Buka Restaurants are prominent and giant food, beverages and hospitality industry players which contribute in diverse ways to make Ghana’s fledging tourism industry very competitive.

Expensive Destination

Against the encouraging hospitality industry growth results and output above, regarding revenue contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), foreign exchange, job opportunities and frontline role as the largest contributor and growth enabler in the country’s current tourismmix, the tourism industry as a whole, currently ranks as the 4th largest contributor to GDP. Ghana remained one of the most expensive destinations around the world, especially in the area of accommodation rates and charges, which does not augur well for the country’s fledging tourism industry.

Cause

Ghana’s discouraging standing as an expensive destination is a direct fallout from the absence of comprehensive national Hospitality Legislation and Legal Regime (NHL&LR) as well as a corresponding National Hospitality Development Blueprint (NHDB) – two key omissions and defects on the National Tourism Development Strategy (NTDS) which obstruct and frustrate national tourism development aspirations and strategy.

MOTAC intervention

It is very incumbent on the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and its frontline implementing agencies to promptly intervene with pragmatic steps and actions to develop a very comprehensive national hospitality legislation, legal regime and hospitality development blueprint as part and parcel of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic era tourism sector reconstruction and development reforms, to reposition the infant and fledging tourism industry for double-digit rapid and accelerated growth.

The Writer is a Tourism, Brands & Branding, Communication & Marketing Consultant, Practitioner, Analyst, Advocate & Activist

VIA: Prince Dennis KLINTINGS, Email: kingskonsultz@gmail.com