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The Tourism and Hospitality Industry in the Eastern Region has so far provided jobs for over 10,000 people.

A survey conducted by the Evaluation and Monitoring department of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) last year during a monitoring and enforcement exercise in the region revealed that over 10,000 people in the tourism and hospitality sector, which according to GTA is the way to go in reducing unemployment in the country.

Delivering a speech at a press engagement held to commemorate this year’s World Tourism Celebration in Koforidua, Frederick Rudolph Adjei, the regional manager of the authority indicated that the sector has the capacity to create numerous job opportunities if well harnessed.

“On figures of direct and indirect jobs in the tourism sector, statistics from the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Authority gives the following estimated figures of direct and indirect jobs in the Hospitality, travel and tourism industry in the Region as at December 2018– Direct employment 3,014, indirect employment 7,535 with total employment as 10,549 “.

“It is very important to clarify that, the above figures obtained directly from all licensed formal tourism and hospitality facilities during the 2018 annual inspection of the regional office and analyzed by the department of the authority at the head office. Figures from the informal sector (drinking bars and traditional catering facilities) that constitutes a significant chunk of the hospitality industry as well as other tourism-related businesses in the region are not included in these figures”.

He added that: “the figures provided are based only on the 460 licensed accommodation, catering and travel & tour facilities in the region as at 31st December 2018 and this is without those who are not legally recognized by GTA so from all indications you will realize that tourism and hospitality industry if well harnessed can reduce unemployment rate in the country significantly”.