The Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) has called on the government to increase financial support for tourism, culture and creative arts, warning that inadequate budgetary allocations could undermine efforts to improve infrastructure, skills and service delivery in the sector.
The President of the GHA, Mr Victor Opoku Minta, said the absence of a specific allocation for the sector in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review was particularly worrying at a time when other countries were committing significant resources to strengthen their tourism industries.
He made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency following a presentation by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, at the Government Accountability Series in Accra.
Mr Opoku Minta acknowledged the Minister’s presentation as informative but said it did not sufficiently address the financial resources needed to implement and sustain the programmes outlined.
He observed that while sectors such as education, agriculture and roads received additional allocations in the mid-year budget, tourism, culture and creative arts were not allocated resources.
“If we have no budgetary allocation, it means that whatever we would have wanted to achieve within that period would not be able to do so,” he said.
According to him, increased funding was necessary to develop and maintain tourist attractions, heritage sites and cultural facilities, while also providing specialised training for tour guides, chefs and other hospitality professionals.
He warned that inadequate investment in human resource development could lead to declining standards of service and negatively affect visitors’ experiences.
The GHA President also stressed the need for sustained funding for the maintenance of tourism facilities, noting that maintenance involved more than cosmetic improvements.
He said facilities required attention to washrooms, access roads, amenities and other essential infrastructure to ensure that tourist destinations remained attractive and functional.
Mr Opoku Minta pointed to investments being made by other African countries, including The Gambia, Senegal, South Africa, Rwanda and Nigeria, as evidence of the growing competition within the tourism industry.
He noted that South Africa alone invested more than 2.5 billion rand in its tourism sector last year, highlighting the scale of resources some competing destinations were committing to the industry.
While calling for greater government support, he said the GHA was also taking steps to strengthen the industry and complement public-sector initiatives.
He disclosed that the Association was working with the Ghana Tourism Authority on a five-year strategic plan that would support specialised training programmes for hospitality industry players.
The Association is also developing an indigenous online booking platform designed specifically for Ghanaian hotels and guesthouses.
Mr Opoku Minta explained that the platform was not intended to compete with existing international booking systems but would provide an additional industry-driven service through which tourists could easily identify and reserve accommodation facilities across the country.
He further advocated mandatory and structured membership of the hospitality industry to improve coordination, standards, regulatory compliance, communication, training and service delivery.
He said customers should be assured of consistent standards regardless of where they stayed in the country.
“Service in Accra should be similar to service in Tamale. It should be equal to service in Ghana,” he said.
Assessing the Tourism Minister’s presentation, Mr Opoku Minta described it as “very good” but urged Madam Gomashie to intensify efforts to secure increased budgetary support for the sector.
He also raised concerns about the activities of regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana National Fire Service and National Identification Authority.
He called for stronger dialogue between regulators and hospitality businesses, arguing that enforcement measures should not unnecessarily result in the closure of establishments.
The GHA President was particularly concerned about requirements for hotels to introduce biometric systems for identifying staff and guests, saying the additional cost could place a heavy burden on smaller guesthouses.
He also identified the multiplicity of taxes as another major challenge affecting the profitability and sustainability of businesses within the hospitality sector.
Mr Opoku Minta said the Association would continue engaging the Tourism Ministry and other stakeholders to develop structured solutions to the challenges facing the industry.
He also urged authorities and industry players to adopt long-term planning to maximise upcoming opportunities, including preparations for Ghana’s 70th anniversary.
“We should not be ad hoc in some of the decisions. We should be planned and qualitative,” he said.
