More than 100 hotel and hospitality businesses in the Central Region face potential closure due to the non-payment of accumulated Tourism Development Levy exceeding GHC 1 million.

Some establishments had arrears surpassing GHC50,000 in less than a year, while others owe as little as GHC200, with many showing strong efforts to settle their dues.

This suggests that a substantial proportion of more than half of the hotels in the region are  indebted to the Authority.

However, Managers of some facilities visited by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) on Monday, November 17 as part of the ongoing regulatory enforcement, confirmed these figures but attributed their financial struggles primarily to the high costs of doing business.

The facilities lamented rising expenses for energy, food, wages, and national insurance that had significantly reduced their profits and led to resistance and slowed investment in the tourism sector.

Mr Emmanuel Laweh, Central Regional Deputy Director of GTA, told the Ghana News Agency that despite continuous reminders and appeals, many operators had shirked their financial obligations, resulting in the current backlog.

Mr Laweh explained that the GTA levy, established under the Ghana Tourism Act, 2011 (Act 817), required that all registered tourism businesses contributed a percentage of their turnover to fund tourism development and promotion in Ghana.

The levy is collected monthly from hotels, guest houses, and other hospitality facilities as a statutory contribution to support sustainable growth in the sector.

Mr Laweh said timely payment of the regulatory fees was vital for maintaining the integrity and advancement of Ghana’s tourism industry, as the funds directly help in enhancing tourist experiences and national development efforts.

He urged all hospitality operators to responsibly settle outstanding balances to avoid penalties that could disrupt their operations.