Ghana Tourism Authority closes down Villaggio Vista, Airport Side Hotel

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) as part of a nation-wide enforcement exercise to clamp down on tourism enterprises operating without license from the Authority, has closed down two tourism facilities in Accra.

The facilities, Villaggio Vista and Airport Side Hotel, have been given a 24-hour ultimatum to rectify and ensure they meet the requirements for immediate reopening.

Addressing the media before the exercise, Mr Akwasi Agyemang, Chief Executive Officer of the GTA, said in line with the Tourism Act any tourism enterprise before establishment needed to go through registration and licensing by the Authority.

He said offenders were liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than one hundred penalty units or imprisonment for a term of not more than six months or to both.

He said the exercise was mainly to weed out illegal operators as well as sensitize legal operators who did not meet the minimum standards set by the law, saying it was a way of cleaning up the industry and making sure operators worked within the confines of the law.

“For those whose standards do not meet the requirements, we would give them the opportunity to rectify and do the right thing, if they comply we would give them the right to reopen for business, but those who are operating illegally they would be ask to go through due processes of registration.”

He said the one-month exercise would also be a way of throwing more light on other things that the GTA does.

“Per the laws, every tourism establishment must collect the one percent tourism levy from patrons and that is what goes into the tourism development fund, which is used for infrastructural development, marketing of Ghana as a preferred destination, capacity building and investments.”

Mr Agyemang said the task force would be collaborating with the regional managers as well as the regional teams in all the 11 regions under the agency.
source; ghanadailies. com