Hotels Drive Jobs, Forex and Skills Development — GHA President

By Esther Korantemaa Offei

Hotels remain one of Ghana’s strongest contributors to economic growth through employment creation, foreign exchange inflows and skills development, President of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr, has said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Routes and Routes on ZED FM, Dr. Ackah-Nyamike described the hospitality industry as a “low-hanging fruit” for job creation and a major driver of national development.

“Every time I get the opportunity to talk about the industry, especially hotels, I like to start from their contribution to economic growth,” he said.

Speaking on the topic “Beyond Accommodation: The Role of Hotels in Ghana’s Tourism Development and Economic Growth,” Dr. Ackah-Nyamike said hotels employ large numbers of people both directly and indirectly, with staffing levels often linked to the number of rooms in a facility. “When you take a typical hotel, whether it has 10 rooms or 20 rooms, just multiply the number of rooms by two to get an idea of the number of people employed. In high-end, four- or five-star hotels with about 200 rooms, you can have between 400 and 500 workers,” he explained.

He noted that employment figures increase further during conferences and major events, when hotels engage additional outsourced staff. Beyond direct employment, he said the industry supports a wide range of ancillary businesses.

“There are those who do the gardening, electricians, plumbers, painters, food vendors, farmers supplying produce and even those who manufacture items like mattresses. When you look at it that way, the hotel industry supports a huge economy,” he said.

Dr. Ackah-Nyamike also highlighted the sector’s contribution to foreign exchange earnings, noting that international tourists bring in much-needed foreign currency. “Tourists bring in dollars, and that foreign exchange helps the economy a lot,” he stated.

He further pointed to the taxes and statutory levies paid by hotels, including Value Added Tax (VAT), GETFund and the National Health Insurance Levy, which are used to finance infrastructure and social services. “These taxes are used to construct roads, build hospitals and provide water and other essential services,” he said.

On service delivery, Dr. Ackah-Nyamike stressed that human capital remains the backbone of the hospitality industry, describing it as critical to customer satisfaction and business sustainability. “Human capital is a big deal. Without it, there is nothing. For now, it is human beings who are doing the work, and that directly affects customer service,” he said.

He called for increased investment in staff training, emotional intelligence and employee welfare, noting that satisfied workers are more likely to deliver quality service and promote hotels through positive guest experiences. “When guests are treated well, they come back and they market your facility for you,” he added.

Dr. Ackah-Nyamike expressed concern about the high labour turnover in the hotel industry, attributing it partly to aggressive recruitment practices and weak training structures. “The industry is like football clubs. People keep moving. New hotels want experienced staff, so they poach from existing ones, and that creates gaps,” he said.

To address the challenge, he advocated the training of a critical mass of hospitality professionals to ensure consistency in service delivery across the sector.

The GHA President also renewed calls for the establishment of a dedicated hotel and tourism school, to be funded through the Tourism Development Fund.

“There should be a hotel school whose sole responsibility is to train people already in the industry through practical simulations. As part of licence renewal, staff should periodically go through this school to upgrade their skills,” he proposed.

He explained that many hotel workers have spent years in the industry without formal training due to high costs, particularly in smaller, budget hotels that dominate the sector.

“Training is expensive, and most small hotels cannot afford it. That is why the 1% Tourism Development Fund contribution should be used to establish this school and make training mandatory,” he said.

Dr. Ackah-Nyamike urged the Ghana Tourism Authority and other stakeholders to ensure full compliance with contributions to the fund to support structured and sustainable capacity building in the hospitality industry. “All that is needed is to ensure that all tourism enterprises pay the 1% contribution. That will make the hotel school a reality,” he said.