The Ghana Tourism Authority( GTA) on Monday afternoon closed down Villagio Vista, located at Airport West in Accra which provides accommodation and catering services.
This is because the facility does not have an operating license according to the Ghana Tourism Authority.
Consequently, the GTA has placed a closure notice at the premises and given the management 24 hours to ensure that all clients check out of the facility.
The move follows a nationwide exercise commenced by the GTA to enforce the law in clamping down on illegal operators in the hospitality and tourism sector.
Facilities targeted are hotels, drinking spots, restaurants, movie centres, service apartments, fast food joints among others.
The first phase of the operation commenced in the Greater Accra Region Monday afternoon.
Briefing the media, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr Akwasi Agyeman said licensed institutions that do not meet the standards required by the Authority would not be left out.
“It Is quite unfortunate that some people will decide that I want to establish a hotel, a hostel, a restaurant, a guest house but will not go through the needed process.”
“So we have decided to once again to go and weed them out. So all illegal operators that we have, we are embarking on the exercise to weed them out,” he said.
He added that those whose standards do not meet the requirement will be given the opportunity to rectify their mistakes.
Mr Agyeman further stated that a national taskforce including security officers has been instituted to carry out the operations.
He said the team will be in the Greater Accra Region from Monday June 3 to Friday June 7 then move to Tema from Monday June 10 and to Tuesday June 11.
They will continue to the Central Region on June 12 to 14, Western Region from June 14 to 17, Ashanti Region from June 18 to 21, Brong Ahafo from June 22 to 25, Eastern Region from June 26 to 28 and Volta region from June 29 to July 2, 2019.
Source: Graphic