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Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the hospitality industry must receive capacity building in business management, General Manager of the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Ralph Ayitey, has said.
He explained that having Ghanaians play a more prominent role in managing hotels would have a positive impact on job creation for the youth.
He said over the past years, the country had not witnessed many Ghanaian managers thriving in the sector.
“It is only in the last years that we have had two Ghanaian general managers (the Labadi Beach Hotel and the Accra City Hotel); it never happens,” the general manager added.
He said it was long overdue for Ghanaians to take charge of their destinies to create more jobs for the teeming youth.
He was speaking to the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of a carol's night and the 25th-anniversary launch of the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra.
The well-attended event brought together management, staff and key stakeholders of the hotel which began operations with 10 rooms in 1999, to praise and thank God for His mercies and protection over the 25 years of the hotel’s existence.
The Winneba Youth Choir thrilled patrons with some melodious festive season songs that ignited the atmosphere.
The management of the hotel also took time to network with the stakeholders in a bid to strengthen the business relationship between them.
Mr Ayitey explained that the hotel, which would be 25 in 2024, would announce some packages for its loyal patrons.
Since its establishment, the general manager said, the hotel had been committed to promoting the Ghana agenda by using locally manufactured products in the delivery of its services.
He urged SMEs to put in the necessary governance systems and take advantage of promoting locally manufactured products to help local businesses expand.
“Our founders had a vision that encompasses excellence which is why we have made it this far.
Twenty-five years of existence is no easy a feat”, he said.
President of the Groupe Nduom, Dr Nana Kweku Nduom, said for the past three years, hoteliers in the country had gone through a lot of turbulence following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite that, he said the hotel had survived the test of time and had since been the pillar for the other companies within the Groupe Nduom.
“We always point to the hotel and what they are doing for us to follow their examples.
“We congratulate the hotel, and we wish its management well for another 25 years.
“We want to keep coming back and celebrating their growth,” he said.
In his exhortation, Rev. Fr Donatus Pallu urged the public to seize opportunity of the blessings in the Christmas season to bless and motivate others.
