The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has urged tourist facility operators and their workers to avail themselves of its training programmes to sharpen their skills for quality service delivery.

Mr. Ekow Sampson, Ashanti Regional Manager of the Authority, said the main challenge inhibiting the growth of the tourism sector was poor service delivery.

“The GTA has been inundated with many complaints about the sub-standard services provided by tourist facilities and we believe this ought to change to sanitise the industry and ensure growth,” Mr Sampson told the Ghana News Agency (GTA) in Kumasi, on Friday.

This was after the Authority inspected tourist facilities in the Metropolis to check their adherence to and compliance of tourism regulations.

The exercise was also to close down unlicensed and unregistered facilities whose services exposed patrons to certain risks.

Mr. Sampson said more than 60 tourist facilities, including hotels, restaurants and travel and tour companies had failed to obtain their operational licenses for this year.

“So far as we are concerned that these facilities are operating illegally and our Task Force would soon move into action to arrest and deal with the offenders,” he warned.

They include Kings Towers, Forest Gate, Tusand, Rees, Platinum, Open Space, Dago, Nyarko Sefa, Silver Moon, Acheamfour and Ejura Paradise Hotels and Homeland Travel.

Others are Achielinks, First and Fast Boka Tough, Abaanekie and Imperial 2003 Travel and Tours.

The rest are American, Dapaa Siakwan, Stephen Brobbey, Alice Owusu, Suncity, Bart Blessed, Milano Inn, Better Mum, Pater Noste, Arena, Singus, Zoro One and Allomek Guest Houses.