Players in the hospitality industry in Kumasi are recording good business as Ghana is set to play Nigeria in the World Cup play-off today.

Ahead of the match, most hotels and guest houses in Greater Kumasi are fully-booked in advance.

Restaurants, pubs and other entertainment centers in the city are also expected to record a surge in patronage.

Hotels closer to the Baba Yara Stadium had reservations made weeks ahead of the match.

The close proximity to the stadium makes such facility the preferred choice to many guests.

“The day the march was fixed to be played in Kumasi; people started booking ahead of time. Normally our customers are the GFA officials. They were the first to book Ceeta-Kel Hospital. This hotel is fully booked,” General Manager of Ceeta–Kel Hotel, Baffour Ampadu Kyere, said.

International and football events often drive patronage of tourism products and services in Kumasi.

Players in the tourism sector want events such as the soccer tournament to be organized frequently.

David Onyinah is Regional Chairman of the Ghana Tourism Federation and former Chairman of the Hotels Association.

“As people are coming to Kumasi, they will be visiting restaurants and eateries. I have realized some traditional eateries (chop bars) are getting new and foreign customers. Car rentals and commercial transport operators are getting clients. Businesses in Greater Kumasi will benefit the most,” he said.

Meanwhile, there has been a spillover of guests to other hotels outside Greater Kumasi.

The hoteliers are excited at the boost in operations when major soccer events are staged.

“Prior to the football match, the occupancy was a bit low. But with Friday’s game, a lot of people have trooped to Kumasi. According to my checks, hotels in Greater Kumasi like Golden Bean, Golden Tulip, Miklin, Noda Hotel are all booked. The others outside Greater Kumasi which are 1 and 2 hotels are still receiving calls. This means people are really looking for accommodation,” he said.

Another said “I was glad when the match was fixed to be played in Kumasi. It helps us a lot anytime there is a game to be played here. The restaurants here all benefit”.