Bolgatanga, July 11, GNA - The Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) in the Upper East Region has closed down two hotels in the region for operating under unhygienic conditions.

The hotels are Paradise Guest House in Bawku and Peace and Love Guest House in Navrongo.

The hotels are in deplorable state with filthy surroundings and the one located in Bawku had no reception.

The Regional Director of GTB, Madam Mary Agangmikre, said GTB was serious on its insistence that hotels must meet some basic criteria to sustain tourism.

She said the GTB would clamp down brothel operators, who offerd short time accommodation.

Madam Agangmikre said it was illegal to convert premises such as homes into restaurants and hotels without the approval of GTB. She said the operation to ensure that people in the hospitality business complied with regulations would continue until there was decency in the tourism sector.

Agangmikre said GTB would soon begin a programme to register traditional catering and drinking bar operators to bring sanity into their operations.