Hotel owners have been urged to take extra security measures to protect their clients, in view of the isolated cases of explosions at some hotels in the West African sub-region which have resulted in the death of a number of people.
The Chief Executive Officer of Mac-Dic Enterprises Limited, Barima Kofi Adjei-Twinin, who made the appeal in an interview at the maiden annual awards of the Ghana Hotels Association, said the recent explosions at a hotel in Burkina Faso which killed at least 27 people should be a source of concern to hoteliers.
He, therefore, urged hoteliers to be conscious of security and implement security measures to protect those who patronised their facilities and services.
On January 15, this year, gunmen attacked the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou and bombed sections of the hotel, leading to the death of about 27 people.
On November 20, 2015, heavily armed gunmen shouting “Allahu akbar” stormed the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako in Mali, taking scores of people hostage and leaving bodies strewn across the building.
The theme for the awards ceremony was: “Promoting quality standard in Ghana hotels”.
Awards
Individuals and groups were honoured for their selflessness, dedication, hard work, innovation and quality service delivery.
Some of the hotels that received awards were The Royal Senchi Hotel, Oak Plaza Hotel, MJ Grand Hotel, Kempiski Hotel, Acacia Guest Lodge, In-Service Training Centre, Coconut Grove Village, Beige Village Golf Resort and Spa and Fiesta Royal Hotel.
There were awards for individuals who distinguished themselves in various departments of their hotels. Speaking at the ceremony, Barima Adjei-Twinin said the industry had a major role to play in the promotion of tourism and the creation of an enabling environment for trade and increasing revenue to boost the economy.
He, therefore, urged owners of hotels to devote much of their time to train their staff and provide them with good working conditions for them to work as expected.
Dedication
The President of the Ghana Hotels Association, Mr Herbert Acquaye, commended the members of the association for their dedication and total commitment to keep the industry vibrant, despite the challenges confronting them.
He said the hotel industry was a major contributor to tourism development and the economy, creating more than 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.
He urged the government to create the enabling environment for the sustenance and improvement of a vibrant industry which could become the base for job creation and reduce the unemployment situation in the country.
Source: Graphic