The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in the Central Region has temporarily shut down four hospitality establishments for breaching various tourism regulatory requirements.
The affected facilities are Elmina Beach Resort in Elmina, as well as Savoy Hotel, Veke Executive Lodge and Wiz Homes, an Airbnb property, all in Cape Coast.
The facilities were sanctioned for various breaches, including operating without valid licences, non-payment of the tourism levy, substandard facilities and poor service delivery.
The GTA also posted caution notices at some facilities that were yet to be licensed and had not commenced operations, but were reportedly preparing to receive visitors during the Oguaa Fetu Afahye celebrations.
The enforcement exercise forms part of the GTA’s efforts to clamp down on non-compliant hospitality establishments ahead of the Fetu Afahye celebrations in September.
Charles Buabin, Regional Director of Tourism, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the affected facilities were shut down after allegedly ignoring several cautions issued by the Authority.
He explained that all accommodation establishments, including Airbnb properties, are required by law to register with the GTA and obtain the necessary licence before commencing operations.
“In the laws of Ghana, Airbnb is not stated as a facility. All accommodation enterprises are supposed to be registered and licensed before they can operate,” he said.
Mr Buabin said the affected establishments would be required to rectify the identified defects and pay applicable regulatory fines before they could be allowed to reopen.
He urged members of the public and patrons of hospitality establishments to check the licensing status of facilities and ensure that their licences are valid before patronising them.
He further assured the public that the enforcement exercise would continue across the region, particularly during the festive season, as part of efforts to sanitise the hospitality industry and ensure that patrons receive standard services.