Management of Sunlodge Hotel Ltd. has called on hoteliers to adopt strategic approaches and invest in their businesses to remain competitive in the hospitality industry.

The hotel celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking its establishment in 1974 by former CEO Richard Emmanuel Obeng Ansong.

The anniversary event was well-attended by dignitaries from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Ghana Tourism Authority, and other political figures, as well as key stakeholders from the hospitality sector.

Addressing the media during the hotel’s golden jubilee celebration, Chief Executive Officer of Sunlodge Hotel, Kwame Ansong hinted at a strategic move hotel managers can adopt, stressing the need for them to refurbish their hotels’ facilities, to attract and accommodate the growing number of customers.

“If you keep refurbishing, and reinvesting in the business, you will come to a stage where you are in the position to attract a certain critical mass, which makes it worth you being in the business. It is also a volume business. So it’s not something where you think that if you have five people coming in a night instead of twenty, you are doing well, no. You need to have a certain critical mass to break even, and be able to reinvest in the facilities.”

He further expressed confidence in the hotel attaining a 3-star rating and assured customers of an improved level of service and experience.

However, the Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer revealed that the increase in the number of persons expected for this year’s December in Ghana festival is likely to generate an increase in revenue, compared to that of last year.

The festival which was launched in August is set to provide locals and individuals in the diaspora, the opportunity to explore the country’s rich cultural heritage.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Mercer revealed the ministry’s readiness to host about a million visitors, to participate in the activities scheduled for this year’s festival.

“The expectation is that we are going to generate in excess of 400, 000. Our target for this year is about one point three million visitors. The half-year results clearly indicate that we are on the path to achieving that target. December is the biggest.

“So if you are going to do an aggregation of a hundred thousand per month, then it’s safe to expect, with the numbers from last year ranging around three hundred that we are likely to get about four hundred this year.

“There’s an established protocol that will work through GTA with all the industry stakeholders, including event organizers and planners. All the relevant stakeholders have been engaging with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), coordinating to make sure that our visitors who come in December have a rich experience in Ghana”.