Thirty-six facilities and players in the hospitality industry have been honoured for their outstanding contributions to the sector at the 2024 Ashanti Regional Tourism Awards held in Kumasi last Friday night.

The 2024 Ashanti Regional Tourism Awards (ARTA) was held on the theme: "Celebrating Innovation and Recognising Excellence in Ghana Tourism Sector".

Organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Regional Tourism Awards aims to celebrate and recognise individuals and organisations for demonstrating excellence and to encourage a rebound of tourism in Ghana.

Awardees 

Despite being operational for a year, Veronique Heights was adjudged and presented with the prestigious "Best Service Apartment of the Year Award", with the Lancaster Hotel winning the 4 Star Hotel of the Year Award and the Golden Bean Hotel and the Cofkans Hotel at Obuasi, winning the 3 - Star Hotel of the Year and 2 - Star Hotel of the Year awards respectfully.

The Beauty Queen Hotel grabbed the Budget Hotel of the Year Award, Ivy Court won the Guest House of the Year category, the Evandy Hostel was adjudged the Hostel of the Year, with the Ceci Chopbar winning the Traditional Restaurant of the Year Award.

The rest are Oaks Garden & Lounge (Night Club & Pub of the Year); Roots Pub (Drinking Bar of the Year); Casa Ashanti (Restaurant of the Year -Grade 1); Akenti Restaurant (Restaurant of the Year -Grade II) and Bonne Arivee, Restaurant (Restaurant of the Year Grade III).

The remaining include Aboude Fast Food (Fast Food Establishment of the Year); Camp Martin (Sustainable Award of the Year); Akoma FM (Excellence in Promoting Local Cuisine); Africa World Airlines (Airline of the Year); Royal Park Hotel (Good Corporate Organisation of the Year); and Eugene Mart Travel & Tour & Consult (Travel & Tour Company of the Year).

Justice Brobbeyn, a curator at the Manhyia Palace Museum won the Site Guide of the Year Award, John Sly Hutchinson (Tour Guide of the Year), A.D. Autos Car Rentals (Car Rental of the Year); Omni Media (Oriented Media of the Year); Prempeh II Museum Manhyia Palace (Visitor Attraction of the Year) and Dr Benjamin Osei Appiah (Digital Innovation Icon of the Year).

Ridge Condos won Most Exciting and Entertaining Hospitality Facility of the Year; Opoku Ware Vocational Institute (Long and Dedicated Service in Training of Industry Players Award) and Noda Hotel (Best Host of the Year Award), with Ernest Joseph Yankson, Noda Hotel's CEO, emerging the Hospitality Personnel of the Year.

Awardees in the Investment in Tourism and Hospitality Industry Awards category were; Christian Boakye Yiadom (Ceqa Foods); Kwabena Obeng (Steaman Group LTD & Golden Eagle Cinemas); Nana Ama Serwaa (Ike's Cafe & Grill); Stephen Catology (Mawuli Hotel); John Arhin (Semanhyia Golden Suite & S-G Mall) and Karikari Amponsah (Lovek Condos).

Forefront

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyeman, underscored the need to position tourism at the forefront of the national agenda.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Fund Administrator, GTA, Prince Yaw Essah, he passionately advocated the deliberate integration of tourism into the nation’s developmental discourse, emphasising its capacity to generate employment, empower communities and propel economic growth stakeholders in the tourism industry, from hoteliers to tour guides, musicians to artists, reflected a shared commitment to nurturing this vital sector.

He said the country’s natural endowments from serene landscapes to its rich cultural heritage, served as the bedrock of its tourism potential.

"The peace that pervades our nation is a priceless asset, one that must be cherished and leveraged to attract visitors from far and wide", he stated.

The Chief of Feyiease, Nana Addae Gyamera I, who chaired the occasion, charged industry players and all in the hospitality industry to take it upon themselves to "help rebuild Ghana through tourism".

"Ghana is all we have. And we all know what tourism can do for this country", he said and commended the awardees for leading the charge.

Rich Ashanti culture 

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah told industry players to take advantage of the rich Ashanti culture, harness its potential and put Ashanti and the entire nation on the world map.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Municipal Chief Executive of Asokwa, Akwannuasa Gyimah, he again assured all and sundry that the doors of the Regional Coordinating Council would remain open to assist persons who were ready to join the
 status quo in transforming the region through tourism.

On security, one of the main foundation stones of tourism, the minister said through measures instituted by the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), the region was a safe haven and implored tourists, both domestic and foreign to rest assured of their security anytime they visited the region.

It was a night of fanfare as there were a lot of meals and drinks served, amidst a joyous musical interlude by the Amammreso Agorfomma, a culture group at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi, as well as, a performance by the Ghana Armed Force's 4BN Military Band.

 

Invest in safety, security - players in hospitality industry advised 

 

The Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Frederick Adjei-Rudolph speaking at the event advised players in the hospitality industry to adequately invest in the safety and security of the guests who visited their facility to help promote tourism.

"Safety and security are very paramount and crucial in this industry. One accident in a swimming pool, an injury on a staircase, a single theft in a guest room or an incident of food poisoning in our restaurant could damage the reputation of our facilities and even an entire destination, resulting in low patronage and visitation", he observed.

He said it was incumbent on owners of these facilities, to ensure that the physical and emotional wellbeing of their visitors were protected at all times.

"Destination Ghana has enjoyed massive visibility worldwide due to the deliberate marketing strategies adopted by Ghana Tourism Authority over the years", he noted, and appealed to all private sector industry players to compliment these efforts  with outstanding facilities and excellent services across board.

ARTA 2024

"As we recognise the hard work, the passion for quality service delivery and the excellence of the award winners, he urged players to be mindful of the need to constantly abide by the laws, rules and regulations that governs the operations of all tourism and hospitality establishments in Ghana. 

"We must embrace the culture of cleanliness and regular maintenance of our facilities and also invest in professional staff that can deliver exceptional services to our clients", he said.

Help rebuild Ghana

The Chief of Feyiease , Nana Addae Gyamera I, who chaired the occasion, charged industry players and all in hospitality industry to take it upon themselves to "help rebuild Ghana through tourism".

"Ghana is all we have. And we all know what tourism can do for this country", he reiterated and commended the awardees for leading the charge.