With barely a week to the much anticipated Assin North by-election slated for Tuesday, June 27, all hotels and guest houses in the area are fully booked. 

Prices per room which hitherto cost between GHC100 to GHC400 have surged about 30 per cent. 

Managers of some facilities such as Joees Plaza, Kassland City, Cambel Hotel, Press Lodge, and Christian Home told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that rooms were fully booked largely by security services, politicians, and political parties nearly a month ago. 

“The rooms are fully booked, but they are only 50 per cent occupied daily. The rooms are usually full on weekends when the politicians troop in their numbers for their campaign activities. 

“We pray the by-election keeps long to sustain us in business. This is a good time for the hospitality industry, one of the managers who gave his name as Desmond explained. 

Mr. Isaac Idun, the Central Regional Chairman of the Ghana Hotels Association, said the situation was good for the hospitality industry after the havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He called on hoteliers and stakeholders in the hospitality industry in the area to ensure good customer service delivery to boost the sector. 

According to him, the hospitality industry had good prospects and could be a good contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) if given the needed attention. 

As such, programmes such as staff training, the introduction of reliable services, and soliciting client feedback should be taken seriously to drive the cause. 

“The hospitality industry is becoming dynamic as society keeps changing with technology, and as such, it is imperative that as stakeholders, clients’ needs are anticipated and delivered adequately to boost the industry,” he said. 

The GNA also observed that major pubs including Finest, Green Light, Cediko, Sheila Inn, and Boyz-boyz among others are the toast of political revelers that swarm the area after a hard day's work. 

Many restaurants have also confirmed record sales as demand for bush meat, particularly grass cutter, antelope, and crab, with snail soups being the highest on-demand by fufu eaters. 

Restaurants such as Aba Atta and Bush canteen in Assin Fosu, Odo Nkwan in Assin-Nyankomasi, and Berma Nkwan in New Edubiase, among others in Bereku, Praso, Assin Adubiase have all made high sales. 

In the afternoon, such eateries are beautiful sights to behold as scores of V8 and other flashy vehicles of political party stalwarts of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) compete for parking lots.