Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyameke, President of the Ghana Hotels Association, has emphasized the critical need for ongoing improvement in customer service to enhance the nation’s tourism sector.
Speaking on ABC IN THE MORNING, he highlighted that customer service plays a pivotal role in attracting both local and international visitors.
“This is a global market industry. It’s an industry that deals with international as well as local. We blend the two,” he stated, underscoring the importance of a service culture that caters to diverse clientele.
Tourism is a key driver of Ghana’s economy, and the hospitality industry, one that cannot be overemphasized.
In 2019, international arrivals stood at 1,130,307.
The subsequent year saw a sharp decline of 69% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there was a remarkable rebound in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2021, leading to a 76% surge in total arrivals during that period.
The positive trend continued with arrivals nearly doubling in 2022, marking a 47% growth. In 2023, arrivals reached 1,148,002, showing a 25% increase from the previous year and a 2% rise above pre-COVID figures, signaling a strong recovery.
In 2019, the tourism sector saw an average tourist expenditure of $2,931, generating $3.3billion in revenue. However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 led to a substantial drop in average tourist spending by 62.81%, only amounting to$1,298.
Consequently, the sector’s total revenue plummeted to a record low of $387million, marking an 88% decrease.
In 2021, hotels and restaurants in Ghana contributed around GH₵3.9b (approximately US$640b) to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2022, there were positive indicators of recovery with an increase in both average tourist expenditure to $2,743 and sector receipt to $2.7billion.
The accommodation sector reigns as the primary beneficiary among all tourism enterprises. In Ghana, tourists’ expenditure on accommodation fluctuated from 2019 to 2022, ranging between 31% to 54%, peaking in 2020.
Notably, the upmarket hotels (3-5 stars) witnessed significant strides in average occupancy over the period National Hospitality Training School to train personnel to offer professional services to the tourism industry.
Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has therefore announced plans to establish a national hospitality training school aimed at equipping personnel with the skills needed to provide professional services in the tourism and hospitality industry.
