The immediate past President of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Dr. Edward Ackah Nyamike Jnr, has urged the newly sworn-in national executives of the Association to champion the effective and inclusive disbursement of the 1 percent Tourism Development Fund established by the Ghana Tourism Authority.

The fund is intended to support the Authority’s tourism development initiatives as well as programmes aimed at strengthening Ghana’s hospitality and tourism value chain.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the Association’s national officers held on Thursday April 23,2026 in Accra, Dr. Nyamike Jnr stressed that the proper utilisation of the fund will be critical in helping industry players recover from recent economic pressures while positioning the sector for sustainable growth.

“In doing so, kindly permit me to bring a few things to the attention of my successor, Mr. Victor Mintah, and his team. Continue the campaign for the mandatory membership of all hotels with hotel associations.

Continue the advocacy for a more transparent and inclusive disbursement of the 1% Tourism Development Fund,” he stated.

Dr. Nyamike Jnr also called for renewed efforts toward implementing the Public-Private Partnership Forum as provided for under the Tourism Act 817.

The law requires the sector minister, together with the Authority and private sector players, to convene quarterly meetings to address challenges confronting the tourism industry.

Meanwhile, the newly elected President of the Ghana Hotels Association, Victor Opoku Minta, has announced plans to establish a credit union to financially empower member hotels and their staff.

He explained that access to affordable financing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the hospitality industry, particularly for small and medium-sized establishments that often struggle to secure credit from traditional financial institutions.

“This year we will launch the National GHA Credit Union to financially empower our member hotels and staff and to support the growth of our businesses,” he noted.

Mr. Minta added that the proposed credit union will serve as a financial support system for members, enabling them to access relatively cheaper loans to renovate facilities, expand operations and improve service standards.