THE EIGHTH edition of the biennial National Tourism Awards, which celebrates excellence and professionalism in the tourism industry, is scheduled to start with what the Ghana Tourist Board (GBT) has described as zonal awards.
As part of the event, all 10 regions of Ghana have been grouped into three zones, namely: Northern, Middle and Coastal zones.
The zonal awards will serve as a prelude to the national awards slated for the Banquet Hall in Accra on August 2.
The programme will kick off in Tamale for the northern zone on June 14 followed by that of the middle zone in Kumasi on June 21. The climax will be in Ada in the coastal zone on June 28.
“The award package was not only to publicly recognize and reward industry players who contributed immensely to the growth of the tourism in Ghana, but also to enhance the image of Ghana as a preferred tourism destination in West Africa,” said GTB Executive Director Mr. Martin Mireku at a press conference at the African Regency Hotel in Accra.
He added that the awards would also help offer benchmarks for best practices among stakeholders.
Instituted in 1997, “the awards demanded the best in service delivery from the tourism industry”.
To ensure transparency and credible results in this year’s awards, GTB has put together a seven-member jury to critically look into the criteria of the award.
At the final ceremony in Accra, he disclosed that 25 awards would be given out to deserving winners.
Hotel of the Year (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 stars), Guest House of the Year, Budget Hotel of the Year and Restaurant of the Year (Grades 1, 2, and 3) are some of the categories of awards.
The rest are Traditional Caterer of the Year, Fast Food Establishment of the Year, Drinking Bar of the Year, Tourism Retail Outlet of the Year and Travel Agency of the Year.
There will also be categories for Tour Operator of the Year, Tour Guide, Tourism Writer of the Year and more.
Criteria for most of the awards are based on excellent services, facilities, ideal location, fulfillment of statutory obligation as well as professional management and qualified staff.
This year’s event, which is being organized in collaboration with the Global Media Alliance, will feature US-based highlife singer Felix Owusu, the Ghana Dance Ensemble and the Master Mix Band.
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