The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has closed down two guest houses in the Upper East region for providing substandard services to visitors.

The Gumah Lodge at Zuarungu was shut down for operating in a deplorable structure with no basic facilities while the GNAT Guest House at Yikene along the Bolgatanga-Navrongo was also closed down for operating illegally.

At the Gumah Lodge, some rooms did not have ceilings and there were cracks in some of the walls.

Some of its newly-constructed rooms are so close to the main Bolgatanga-Zuarungu road with poorly constructed corridor barricades that threatens occupants.

The Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Alhaji Hakeem Ishmael, who disclosed this to CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE recently, said the facilities would remain closed.

According to him, lodges that continue to operate substandard facilities would soon be closed down.

Alhaji Ishmael said his outfit conducted an unannounced inspection in the Upper East region which led to the discovery of such guest houses and lodges.

“We have given some of them some grace period to step up their services, structures and environment to an acceptable level. If they don’t do anything about the directive by our next inspection, then they will be closed down.

Those who are operating without permit have been closed down, as well as those with serious structural defects.

“Those with structural defects will remain closed until the defects are rectified and those operating without authorization will have to get licenses before we re-open them.”