The Ghana Statistical Service is set to embark on a survey to count the number of commercial accommodations in the country.

The census is aimed at measuring the level of supply and demand for commercial accommodation facilities such as hotels, guest houses, among others in Ghana

This is expected to support the development of Ghana's tourism sector.

The census will also collect vital details about hotels across the country including their facilities, expenses, occupancy, employment and enumeration, among others.

Assistant Chief Statistician at the Ghana Statistical Service, Ebenezer Kojo Ocran said the collection of these data will help government to know the level of usage of accommodation units in the tourism industry.

This he noted will also help government to better understanding the needs of the industry and develop tailored policies to further grow the sector.

He was speaking at a stakeholder engagement on the 2024 Accommodation Unit Survey for hotel owners and managers in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale.

Prof Kwaku Boakye, Vice Chancellor of Cape Coast Technical University emphasized the need for a data driven hospitality and tourism industry.

“It’s so critical, you know we’re in a data driven world and every point made has to be substantiated with verifiable, tangible facts and without them, they became mere speculation” he emphasized.

He added the presence of comprehensive data on the industry will go a long way to help stakeholders understand the tourism industry.