GTA intensifies enforcement against illegal hostels around Legon and UPSA

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has intensified enforcement of accommodation regulations with a compliance operation targeting unlicensed student hostels within the Legon and UPSA enclave in Accra.

The exercise, conducted on Monday, May 5, focused on facilities operating without proper registration, inspection and licensing as required under the Tourism Act, 2011 (Act 817) and the Accommodation Act.

According to the authority, the operation forms part of efforts to protect students from unsafe and substandard accommodation facilities while ensuring operators comply with national safety and quality standards.

In a statement issued on Friday, the GTA noted that it adopted a compliance-driven approach by engaging operators and directing them to regularise their operations through the proper registration and licensing process, instead of shutting down the facilities.

“This is about protecting students and raising standards across the sector,” the GTA statement read in part.

The authority stressed that the intervention is aimed at improving standards within student accommodation facilities, especially in high-density university communities.

“We are balancing enforcement with education to bring operators into compliance, not just penalise them,” the statement stressed.

The GTA further reiterated that all student accommodation providers are required by law to be licensed and inspected before operating in the country.

It also disclosed that similar enforcement exercises are expected to be extended to other student-populated areas across Ghana in the coming weeks.