The immediate past President of the Ghana Hotels Association, Dr Edward Ackah Nyamike Jnr, has called on the Association’s newly sworn-in leadership to prioritise transparency and inclusivity in the disbursement of the 1 per cent Tourism Development Fund.

The fund, established under the Ghana Tourism Authority, is designed to support tourism development projects and strengthen the broader hospitality value chain.

Dr Nyamike Jnr stressed that how the fund is managed will significantly influence the sector’s recovery and long-term sustainability.

Addressing members at the swearing-in ceremony in Accra on Thursday, April 23, he urged the new leadership to sustain advocacy efforts to improve industry standards and ensure broader participation.

“In doing so, kindly permit me to bring a few things to the attention of my successor, Mr Victor Mintah, and his team. Continue the campaign for the mandatory membership of all hotels with hotel associations. Continue the advocacy for a more transparent and inclusive disbursement of the 1% Tourism Development Fund,” he stated.

He further encouraged renewed commitment to the implementation of the Public-Private Partnership Forum, as outlined in Tourism Act 817, which mandates quarterly engagements between government and private sector stakeholders to address challenges in the industry.

Meanwhile, the newly elected President of the Association, Victor Opoku Minta, outlined plans to establish a credit union to support member hotels financially, noting that access to affordable credit remains a major constraint for many operators.

“This year we will launch the National GHA Credit Union to financially empower our member hotels and staff and to support the growth of our businesses,” he said, adding that the initiative would help members secure low-cost financing to upgrade facilities and expand operations.