The Hotel, Catering and Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT) is set to significantly expand its skills development programmes, targeting the training of at least 5,000 people annually from 2026 to meet the growing demands of Ghana’s hospitality and tourism industry.
The initiative forms part of efforts by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to improve professionalism and service delivery while creating more employment opportunities for young people.
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie disclosed this on Monday in Accra during the Government Accountability Series, where she outlined the performance of the Ministry and its agencies.
According to the Minister, HOTCATT has already trained more than 4,000 trainees and professionals between 2020 and 2026, following the relaunch of the institution.
She said the institute was now expanding its programmes to include Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)-aligned courses, industry-based training and internships across the country.
The Minister noted that in 2025, trainees benefited from certificate programmes, short courses and structured industrial attachments designed to equip them with practical skills relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry.
Expanding training beyond Accra
Madam Gomashie said HOTCATT was also working to decentralise skills training by establishing partnerships with technical universities and other tertiary institutions across the country.
She disclosed that the institute was preparing to sign Memoranda of Understanding with all technical universities in Ghana and key universities in the regions.
Under the proposed arrangement, the institutions would serve as regional training centres, allowing HOTCATT to take skills development closer to communities through mobile training programmes.
She said the move would help address skills gaps in the industry while giving more young people access to practical training without having to travel long distances.
International partnerships
HOTCATT has also received accreditation from the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) to offer proficiency and certificate programmes, with preparations underway for their implementation.
The Minister further disclosed that the institute had partnered with ABE Global, a UK-accredited training institution, to provide professional certificate programmes for frontline hospitality workers and advanced diploma programmes for supervisors.
The partnerships, she said, were intended to raise professional standards and improve the quality of services delivered within Ghana’s tourism and hospitality sector.
Focus on inclusion
Beyond skills development, Madam Gomashie said the Ministry was taking steps to ensure that women and persons with disabilities benefited from opportunities within the sector.
She said the Ministry had supported women-owned tourism enterprises, promoted gender-sensitive training and encouraged greater participation of persons with disabilities in tourism-related programmes.
The Minister said the expansion of HOTCATT’s training capacity was therefore not only aimed at improving service standards but also at creating pathways to employment and entrepreneurship for young people, particularly as Ghana seeks to strengthen the contribution of tourism and hospitality to the economy.
