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Tourism Minister announces a raft of measures to support hospitality industry
The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) will from May begin the disbursement of some GH¢600 million to micro, small and medium enterprises in the hospitality industry.
Minister for Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, revealed on Thursday evening that initial engagements between NBSSI and industry players have been fruitful.
Speaking on the business edition of Joy News’ PM Express, the Minister explained that the relief package will be advanced as a flexible loan to industry players who are members of identifiable trade associations.
“It is for companies which have employees from one to a maximum of 100. That is the target of this fund so it is going to be given out as loans depending on the applications submitted by the companies. It will have a moratorium period of one year to be repaid over a two-year period,” she said.
During the discussion on the disruption caused by the pandemic on the industry, three players in the sector shared details of the specific challenges they have had to deal with.
General Manager of the Movenpick Hotel, Adnan Yucel; Manager of Jamrock Restaurant and Bar, Elizabeth Olympio-Emanuel and CEO of Twist Group, Kwame Goka took turns to recount devastation triggered by the pandemic on their bottomline and how they have been dealing with the challenges.
The Tourism Minister said government was well aware of the challenges and assured them there is commitment by her outfit to ease the pressure caused by the pandemic.
Apart from the loan facility, the Minister said that a grant component from a World Bank project dubbed Tourism Development Project will further cushion players within the hospitality sector.
“We have had an engagement with the World Bank. There is a grant component within that which we are also looking at disbursing to support the operators within this sector
“Then the government has also requested that we submit to it an impact study on our sector. Government is going to look at this impact study, along with the recommendations which industry has made to us and regarding how they want the government to support them,” she said.
Barbara Oteng Gyasi said relief packages to big firms within the industry may come in the form a waiver in levies and charges or even taxes.
“So we have compiled this and we are going to submit it to government,” she assured.
Source: MyJoyOnline
100% Of Global Destinations Now Have Covid-19 Travel Restrictions – UNWTO Report
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all destinations worldwide to introduce restrictions on travel, research by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has found. This represents the most severe restriction on international travel in history and no country has so far lifted restrictions introduced in response to the crisis.
Following up on previous research, the latest data from the United Nations specialized agency for tourism shows that 100% of destinations now have restrictions in place. Of these, 83% have had COVID-19-related restrictions in place already for four or more weeks and, as of 20 April, so far no destination has lifted them.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism has shown its commitment to putting people first. Our sector can also lead the way in driving recovery. This research on global travel restrictions will help support the timely and responsible implementation of exit strategies, allowing destinations to ease or lift travel restrictions when it is safe to do so. This way, the social and economic benefits that tourism offers can return, providing a path to sustainable recovery for both individuals and whole countries.”
Tracking Restrictions by Time and Severity
The social and economic benefits that tourism offers can return, providing a path to sustainable recovery for both individuals and whole countries.
As well as a general overview, the UNWTO research breaks down the type of travel restrictions that have been introduced by destinations in all of the global regions, while also plotting the evolution of these restrictions since 30 January – when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The latest analysis shows that, of 217 destinations worldwide:
- 45% have totally or partially closed their borders for tourists – “Passengers are not allowed to enter”
- 30% have suspended totally or partially international flights – “all flights are suspended”
- 18% are banning the entry for passengers from specific countries of origin or passengers who have transited through specific destinations
- 7% are applying different measures, such as quarantine or self-isolation for 14 days and visa measures.
Against this backdrop, UNWTO has been leading calls for governments worldwide to commit to supporting tourism through this unprecedented challenge. According to Secretary-General Pololikashvili, the sudden and unexpected fall in tourism demand caused by COVID-19 places millions of jobs and livelihoods at risk while at the same time jeopardising the advances made in sustainable development and equality over recent years.
Source: UNWTO
Tourism Joint Committee On COVID-19 Presents Report To Minister Of Tourism
A joint committee of GTA and GHATOF that was set up by the CEO of GTA , Mr. Akwasi Agyeman to look at the impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism and Hospitality Industry and also recommend ways to improve the industry post COVID- 19 have submiited their report to the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
This Committee was Chaired by the Deputy CEO in charge of Operations, Mr Ekow Sampson with the following as members:
Madam Bella Ahu, President of GHATOF
Mrs Stella Appenteng, Managing Director, ApstarsTours
Mrs Roberta Dawson-Amoah, GTA
Mrs Betty Kobi,GTA
Mr Ben Anane Nsiah,GTA
Mr Spencer Doku, GTA
Dr. Edward Ackah- Nyamike Jnr., President of Ghana Hotels Association(GHA)
Mr. Kwesi Eyison, President of Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA)
Mr. Emmanuel Frimpong, Executive Secretary, GHATOF.
Tourism Ministry and Ghana Tourism Authority Donate PPE’s to Industry Players
The Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Hon. Mrs. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi today, 23rd April 2020 on behalf of the government of Ghana has made its 4th donation of essential equipment to fight against COVID-19 to the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) and tourism industry players.
Today’s donation was made to Travel Trade Associations under GHATOF being Traditional Caterers Association, Indigenous Caterers Association, Ghana National Association of Drinking Bars (GHABOA), and the National Drinking Bar Association (NADBOA).
Items donated include 2000 pieces of Veronica buckets, 2000 plastic handwashing bowls, 24 boxes of hand sanitizers, 80 boxes of nose masks, 10,000 pieces of hand gloves, 32 boxes of liquid soaps, 160 packs of tissue paper.
GTA launches ‘Stay Home, Know Ghana’ Campaign to engage public
Ghana Tourism Authority under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has launched a new campaign dubbed #StayHomeKnowGhana to engage and educate Ghanaians during this period of COVID-19.
The campaign themed: ‘Stay Home, Know Ghana’, seeks to educate, engage and entertain Ghanaians on Ghana’s tourism products during their stay home. The campaign is also aimed at providing education on COVID-19 preventive and precautionary measures to keep people informed.
Speaking at radio launches on six (6) FM station across the country, officers of the organisation namely Head of Public Relations, Jones Nelson, Ben Anane Nsiah (Head of Product Development) and Collins Ackwerh (Principal Marketing Officer/Head of Digital Marketing) all said the main objective of the campaign is to encourage Ghanaians to not only stay home but to kill their boredom by getting to know more about Ghana, engage in fun games and trivia question so they can acquire knowledge and look forward to visiting these sites after the pandemic.
“This campaign is to engage, educate and entertain Ghanaians as they stay home, as directed by His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo in order to stop the spread of the COVID-19. We don’t want Ghanaians to be bored at home, so we introduced this campaign to promote the stay home agenda whiles entertaining and educating Ghanaians,” they said.
The Ghana Tourism Authority is thus appealing to Ghanaians to obey the orders to stay at home and abide by the safety and precautionary measures as directed to help stop the spread of the COVID-19. They outlined some of the measures as ‘wash hands regularly with soap under running water and sanitize as well with an alcohol-based sanitizer’.
Read also: Ghana Tourism Authority to educate Ghanaians with StayHomeKnowGhana initiative
The Ghana Tourism Authority has over the years introduced innovative ways of engaging and promoting tourism in Ghana. The #StayHomeKnowGhana campaign is one of such efforts to showcase and promote the Culture, Warmth, and Rhythm of the country.
To participate, the general public is urged to visit visitghana.com as we follow the GTA social media handle @VisitGhanaNow across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to participate in the various activities.
Activities for the ‘Stay Home, Know Ghana’ campaign include: Social Media Contests (Pictionary contest, Know Ghana & Eat Ghana contest, Stay Home, Wear Ghana contest), Radio contests, social media challenges among others. Participants of the campaign will be rewarded with gifts, souvenirs, cash prizes, etc.
The campaign is expected to run until the end of May.
Ghana Tourism Authority educates Ghanaians with Stay Safe, Know Ghana initiative
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched the Stay Safe, Know Ghana initiative in a bid to educate Ghanaians amid the coronavirus crisis.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched the Stay Safe Know Ghana initiative.
Stay Home Know Ghana initiative
A follow-up of the Stay Home Know Ghana initiative, that seeks to inform, educate and entertain Ghanaians as we stay home to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Speaking about the initiative on Happy FM’s Happy Morning Show, with Samuel Eshun was the Head of Public Relations at GTA, Jones Nelson, “With the Stay Safe, Know Ghana campaign, one can log onto our platform visitghana.com, and to know more about tourist sites we have in Ghana. The campaign will last till the end of COVID-19 and we have drawn an extensive program for that. We have designed some packages to prevent boredom and have prizes to give out to participants through the various radio and social media contests that we will run,” he said.
Stay Safe Know Ghana
According to him, the campaign was launched by the GTA in partnership with the Ministries of Communication and Information, and a virtual application was also launched to support the initiative.Outlining some of the online contests that will help citizens see Ghana in a digital lens from any part of the country and also curb boredom in an adventurous way, Jones said,”Participants will win prizes by correctly identifying images of attractions, Ghanaian symbols (adinkra) and artifacts on the social media platforms of the GTA. The Stay Safe, Eat Ghana contest will also require participants to share pictures of different Ghanaian dishes they have tasted, where the ones with most comments or likes & retweets win cash prizes or airtime,” he said.
COVID-19 in Ghana
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Ghana and the closure of our borders, the tourism industry has grinded to a complete halt with some other sectors of the economy suffering losses.
Celebrities and Politicians Testing Positive
The virus, obviously, sees no difference between the rich and the poor, as even some celebrities and politicians have tested positive.
Closure of Hospitality centres
Restaurants and beaches, among other hospitality centers, are now allowed to operate, but are bound to see a depreciation in profit rate, as they cannot operate as effectively as would have in normal times.
Many plans for huge events have also been forced down the drain, with others that were already scheduled for later in the year, praying scared in all anticipation that the virus will vanish before time and profits will not be lost.
Beyond the Return
The Beyond the Return initiative, of the GTA, for instance, is likely to be ineffective this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19: GTA Educating Ghanaians
However, the Ghana Tourism Authority is not being beat down by the pandemic, but rather, is leveraging on this opportunity to educate and revive the interest of Ghanaians in the industry while in the comfort of their homes.
Stay Safe Know Ghana Engaging the Public
The Ghana Tourism Authority has over the years introduced innovative ways of engaging and promoting tourism in Ghana. The #StayHomeKnowGhana campaign is one of such efforts to showcase and promote the Culture, Warmth, and Rhythm of the country.
To participate, the general public is urged to visit visitghana.com as we follow the GTA social media handle @VisitGhanaNow across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to participate in the various activities.
Chefs Association launch project ‘Cooking to save lives’ to feed frontlines fighting COVID-19
The Chefs Association has launched a project to feed frontlines fighting against COVID-19. this was made known at a presentation at the Accra Tourist Information Centre. Chefs Association has set up four (4) industrial kitchens to cook for front-line staff fighting COVID-19.
Chefs Association has pledged to provide 1,000 packs of food for the next 2 weeks. Chef Issac, President of the Association said that the project “Cooking to Save lives” seeks to cook 1,000 packs of food for the security agencies and another 1000 for Medical personnel. They are ready, and with the needed resources can feed up to 10,000 people daily. Presented 400 packed meals ahead of providing 1000 packs daily beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
In her remark, Madam Bella Ahu, Mad. Bella Ahu called for support for the Association who she says has the capability to cook for the vulnerable across the country.
The Minister of Tourism, Hon. Barbara Oteng Gyasi appreciated the gesture of Chefs Association and on behalf of the Ministry and it’s agencies, represented by Ghana Tourism Authority presented food items such as rice and oil saying the Ministry was going to support the initiative with cash and items worth GHS 100,000.00. The Deputy Minister of Tourism thanked the Association for their initiative and remarked that they have become the shining star in times of need.
Mr. Freeman Tettey of the Ghana Police service and member of the COVID-19 operation team received the items on behalf of the Frontliners expressing appreciation for the thought and gesture.
The Minister in her closing remarks said she was going to seek further support of the private sector urged the Association to consider the vulnerable in society in these times. #stayhome #COVID_19 #covid #CoronavirusUpdate #SeeGhana #FeelGhana #LockdownGhana #StayAtHome #COVID19 #TheLockdown #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocal
GTA Orders Closure Of Beaches
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture ( MOTAC), the Ghana Tourism Authority ( GTA) would like to remind the public about the Government’s directives suspending all public gatherings.
In this regard, the GTA hereby orders all beaches to be closed to the public until further notice. The GTA with the support of National Security and the Ghana Police Service will begin patrols of the beaches from Tuesday 24th March 2020, to ensure compliance with the closure order.
The general public and tourist business operators are urged to be mindful of the precautionary measures announced by the President of the Republic to fight the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Issued by GTA
Paragliding and Other Tourism Events Suspended
Following the directives of the President of the Republic of Ghana banning all public gatherings, the Ghana Tourism Authority wishes to inform the General Public that the Annual Kwahu Paragliding Festival, 2020 has been called off with immediate effect.
All those who have registered and paid to participate in the Paragliding festival should contact the following for further directives: 0244161585 and email on info@visitghana.com.
In addition, all Regional Tourism and the National Tourism Awards slated between March and April have been postponed until further notice. The Authority will announce new dates and schedules for these events when the situation normalizes.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused and kindly entreat all and sundry to adhere to the precautionary measures which have been put in place by the Government of Ghana through the Ghana Health Service to prevent the spread of COVID -19.
Please call the Ghana Health Service hotlines on 0558439868/ 0509497700 for assistance.
Don’t be scared, just take care.
Thank you.
ISSUED BY THE GHANA TOURISM AUTHORITY.
In a related matter, The CITI TV / CITI FM Heritage Month Events have also been called off. Also all activities linked to the Kwahu Easter celebration have been called off.
GTA Hosts Bozoma and Delegation From Endeavor Group
Saturday, March 7, 2020
The Ghana Tourism Authority received delegates from Endeavor, a leading company in Media and Entertainment, last week to facilitate discussions focused on business opportunities available within the Ghanaian entertainment industry.
The Chief Marketing Officer, Bozoma Saint John who led the delegation had previously worked on other projects during the Year of Return 2019.
“I felt the need to bring my company and its expertise to Ghana to understand the business opportunities especially within the media and entertainment space” Bozoma said this during an interaction with media about the purpose of her team’s meeting with local Creative industry stakeholders in Ghana.
She stated that the meeting was aligned partly with her personal desire to bridge the divide between Ghanaian local content producers and the global entertainment market saying, “It’s partly a personal pursuit given the work I have done on the Year of Return and now, Beyond the Return, but how do I turn this into a business opportunity for the artistes’ community that is here in Ghana,”
Bozoma added that Endeavor Group is interested in exploring the commercial viability of digitizing content and entertainment platform distribution using digital space over the more traditional methods especially used in the U.S and U.K.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman pointed out that Beyond the Return campaign included in its objectives a greater call to action for investments and business opportunities within the country, thus the purpose of Endeavor executives tied in greatly with future aspirations for the Beyond the Return.
“We’ve started this time with the creative arts as the first point of call. We have Bozoma and the Endeavor Group in town and we felt this is the perfect opportunity to start that conversation around building some collaboration between them.”
The discussions included actors, music producers, film directors and producers, musicians, event organisers, among others and focused on areas such as merchandising, events, copyrights, production, literary works and others works within the media and entertainment landscape of Ghana.