COVID-19 pandemic: Gov’t urged to factor hospitality industry into recovery plan to save jobs

Mrs Anita Wiafe-Asinor, a certified International Labour Organisation (ILO) trainer has urged government to factor the hospitality industry into its recovery plan for the Covid-19 pandemic to avoid job losses.

The global pandemic has hit hard on businesses in the hospitality industry particularly restaurants and hotels.

Due to social distancing, these establishments have been required to under-operate which has affected their financial gains significantly.

Although Mrs Anita Wiafe-Asinor believes businesses are gradually picking up, she insists that government must step in to help with interventions to avoid job losses.

“We need a recovery plan. If we don’t do that more people will lose their jobs. The recovery plan should be looking at things like capacity building.

“We need to help businesses to build focal government, focal structures to make them be able to stand the pandemic and what may come in the future. The other thing is to provide finance to boost them,” the ILO certified trainer who doubles as a consultant told journalists on the sidelines of a conference on Data Management for SME trainers.

Meanwhile, Anita Wiafe-Asinor has advised owners of businesses in the hospitality industry to look at the local tourism industry and make their services more attractive in addition to the international forum to quicken their recovery in the pandemic.

ILO officials in Ghana have remained committed to providing the needed support to business and keep up with capacity training for registered businesses to ensure they stay operational.