By Issah Mohammed
Accra, Nov 15, GNA – The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has completed the training of 153 field officers from across the country for the inaugural Accommodation Unit Survey (AUS).
The nationwide longitudinal survey, which will run from November 2024 to October 2025, aims to gather data from commercial accommodation units offering short-term lodging for both domestic and international guests.
The AUS is one of four surveys initiated by the GSS to provide comprehensive insights into the country’s tourism sector.
The others include the Ghana International Travellers’ Survey (GITS), conducted from October 2022 to September 2023; the Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS), which was carried out throughout 2023; and the Tourism Supply Establishment Survey (TSES), scheduled for March to June 2025.
Speaking at a closing ceremony of a 10-day training programme for field officers and a launch of the project, Professor Kwaku Boakye, Chairperson of the National Technical Advisory Committee of AUS disclosed that a total of 1,077 hotels have been targeted, including all three-to-five-star hotels across the country.
It also targets guest houses, hostels, homestay, apartments, and other accommodation from the list of 2024 Integrated Business Establishment Survey 1.
He called all stakeholders to participate in the survey as their collaboration would help generate industry data that would go a long way to strengthen advocacy and improve policy decisions.
“We do believe that the accommodation sub-sector contributes greatly to the promising prospects of tourism, and that’s why we want to conduct this baseline survey to understand the nature, size and component of the accommodation sector,” he said.
Mr Edward Asuo Afram, Acting Deputy Government Statistician who launched the survey project urged the field officers to work closely with regional statisticians who should be their first port of call should they encounter difficulties.
He further urged them to comport themselves as ambassadors of the GSS and work diligently to ensure that the objectives of the exercise were achieved.
Dr Edward Ackah-Nyamike, President, Ghana Hotels Association said the association has endorsed the survey and assured the GSS of the cooperation of its members.
“They are ready to receive you, they are ready to provide you with the information that you request. We admit that this is very beneficial to us. We have no choice but to participate actively,” he said.
GNA
