Ghana Tourism Federation

FINAL REPORT ON MEMBER ASSOCIATION TRAINING NEEDS AND PRIORITIES

January 2005

Ghana Tourism Federation FINAL REPORT ON MEMBER ASSOCIATION TRAINING NEEDS AND PRIORITIES ASSESSMENT December 2004 INTRODUCTION: The survey was conducted in the Greater Accra Region of the country. It was part of a comprehensive survey on the Training Needs Assessment of the Tourism industry in Ghana under the SNV Capacity Building programme. This research was undertaken by Kojo Ansah, a Consultant and compiled into this report. METHODOLGY: The study was based on a survey of members of GHATOF and the 15 Trade Associations who operated licensed establishments within the lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering; and car rental sectors in the Tourism Industry. Sampling Framework The sample size of 15 Trade Associations represented all of the lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering; and car rental operations within the Tourism Industry; and was representative of all the GHATOF Member Trade Associations. Interview Procedure The Consultant trained a team of 2 enumerators to interview the Executives of the Trade Associations. The respondents were interviewed by the use of standard questions that were administered by the enumerators. Data Entry Analysis Data from the completed questionnaires were collated and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. REPORT: This report focuses on the questions asked and presents the results in a text format. It is structured into two sections: - (a) the first is a description of the needs and priorities of GHATOF and the different trade associations within GHATOF; and (b) the second is a description of the recommendations for improvement suggested by respondents. Tables describing the needs, priorities and the recommendations are embedded in the report.

TABLE OF CONTENT
1.0 EXECCUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Background of the Assignment 1.3 Desired End State of Training & Capacity Building Progs... 1.4 Terms of Reference 1.5 Methodology 1.6 Limitations of the Assessment FINDINGS 2.1 Ghana Tourism Federation and Trade Association 2.2 Tourism Establishment INDUSTRY WORKFORCE CHRACTERISTICS 3.1 Estimated Number of Employees by Sector . 3.2 Estimated Number of Employees by Gender . 3.3 Employee Categorization . 3.4 Estimated Number of Trained Employees . 3.5 Educational Level & Training of Industry Staff TRAINING WITHIN INDUSTRY 4.1 Training For Employees after Hiring 4.2 Staff Development Activities ... ...

2 2 2 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 6 6 9 9 9 10 9 9 9 9 9

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

INDUSTRY TRAINING DEMANDS 5.1 Training Needs 5.2 Training Programmes To Address Needs 5.3 Duration of Recommended Training Progs. 5.4 Supporting The Training Programmes SUMMARY OF FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS NEXT STEPS CONCLUSION

6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0

ANNEX Annex 1. Annex 2. Annex 3.

GHATOF Training And Capacity Building Programme Key Activities, Budget And Support Requirements Trade Associations In GHATOF Survey

SNV Netherlands Development Organization Terms of Reference

1.0 1.1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction

This document is the Final Report on the Ghana Tourism Federation Training Needs Assessment carried out by Kojo Ansah, a Consultant from Vistalux Ltd. It is a synthesis report on the Training Needs Assessment of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) and its sixteen member associations. The study was conducted from 15th December 2004 to 20th January 2005, and it covered all the establishments within the lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering; and car rental sectors. It is part of a comprehensive survey on the Training Needs Assessment of the Tourism industry in Ghana under the SNV Capacity Building programme. The Consultant undertook interviews with executives executives/members of the GHATOF Trade Associations. of GHATOF and the

The survey highlighted the requirements of members of GHATOFs trade associations and the industry for training, and established a baseline of all training activities in the Ghana Tourism sector, and made recommendations on training for hotels, restaurants, tour and travel operations and tour guides. It underscored the need for in-service training and staff upgrading and made recommendations on specific training needs of operators within the industry, including the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs). In addition, it provided a reference point against which industry training policies, practices and programmes that contribute to improved productivity or employment and income security for workers are to be developed. Lastly, the results of the survey provided a guide in the development of the current framework for Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SME) training. It is worth noting that the aim of the report is to generate a priorities matrix from the perspectives of association members who are operators within the industry. 1.2 Background Of The Assignment

GHATOF is an umbrella organisation for all the fifteen tourism industry or tourism related trade associations in Ghana. GHATOF was conceived and created to coordinate and network within the private sector tourism industry and between that industry and the public sector. The Federation was established with the aim of getting registered members to primarily provide quality service to the general public and to help the welfare of members. It was formally registered in 1999 although it existed informally since 1985. GHATOF continues to help the member federations to develop their capacity to pursue effective organizing and advocacy strategies for corrective and preventive action. The Mission of GHATOF is to be unified, effective and instrumental in advocating and shaping policies that promote the Tourism industry to provide training and technical assistance to its membership to strengthen the sector; and to foster good relationships among members and stakeholders in the tourism industry. The vision is one of service to empower the trade associations who represent the tourism industry. It is hoped that in coordinating efforts and promoting cooperation across boundaries within tourism, GHATOF, can strategically help to pool resources needed to create a tourism sector that is increasingly competitive in providing quality service and products. The Federation coordinates the various tourism related trade associations in Ghana under one apex body for purposes of developing a private sector voice and a common platform to: (a) address problems of general and common concern, (b) promote interests and improve the operations of the various associations in the industry and their membership, and (c) Promote responsible tourism in Ghana. Particularly, GHATOF undertakes activities that enhance and advance the cause of tourism generally in Ghana in areas such as: (a) acting as an advocate for the interest of tourism in Ghana in the promotion and development of both domestic and international tourism;

(b) associating/affiliating with similar international tourism organizations; (c) advising on the maintenance of international standards in the operations of tourist facilities and establishments in Ghana; (d) producing promotional materials in collaboration with other agencies for dissemination to educate the public about Ghanas tourist attractions and potentials; (e) enhancing the promotion of Ghanaian culture-music, dance, customs, food, and beverages etc.; (f) encourage and commission studies for the enhancement of the tourism industry; (g) collaborating with private/public agencies to develop adequate tourism facilities around tourism sites; (h) collaborating with other agencies to ensure that there is direct airline service between Ghana and countries of high tourist interest that are affordable to the potential tourists; (i) collaborating with agencies whose activities impact on the tourism industry e.g. Immigration Service, CEPS, the Police Service and Transport Operators; (j) educating the public on environmental issues relevant to the tourism industry; (k) developing and maintaining a code of ethics for tourism practitioners; and (l) working with relevant Associations to develop job and investment opportunities and professionalism in the industry. GHATOF has chalked significant progress in the last few years. It has succeeded in convincing operators within the tourism industry to participate in activities of the association. It has achieved the needed private public sector dialogue, and enhanced the level of cooperation and consensus-building amongst various operators within the industry. In addition, it has participated in the planning and preparation of the Industrys Strategic Action Plan, which was launched in December 2003. The co-operation between the private sector and government was one of the fundamental conditions for the successful development of this Tourism Action Plan. The Action Pan calls for a strengthening of tourism services and the capacity building of private sector providers. One of the most important conditions for successful implementation of the Action Plan is the cooperation and contribution from the major stakeholders in the market. The contribution of the private sector providers is key and there is a need to professionalize and strengthen GHATOF to enhance the capacity of its members for service delivery and to contribute to achievement of the targets and objectives stated in the Action Plan. Next, GHATOF has with technical assistance from the USAID funded Georgia State University Tourism Capacity Development Initiative (TCDI) Project developed a website for its member organisations (www.ghatof.com). The website provides links for each of the member associations and their members. It ensures proper networking and cross category service linkages and effective communication; enhances proper coordination; and boosts communication within executives, between executives and members, and between associations and industry operators who are not members.

Statement of Need
A. For GHATOF: GHATOF has brought the Federations set of processes to a successful start but needs to develop the processes further, as well as, create a powerful and viable association equipped and capacitated to make an impact on tourism development in Ghana. Even though GHATOF has successfully launched itself, it must be supported to carry out new programmes and activities to (i) sustain and professionalize the Federation; (ii) reach out to all the regions of Ghana; (iii) create an awareness of its

activities nationally; (iv) shift the concentration of the Federations activities away from Accra; and (iv) raise funds to support its activities since the dues paid by the GHATOF membership cannot at present sustain the operations of the Federation.1 Also, to continue to undertake its array of activities, GHATOF must ensure the trade associations operate according to the dictates of the constitution. It must establish the routines and procedures for organizing itself and conducting meetings; set up various committees to assist the work of Federation (e.g. the Human Resource Development and Training Committee, Marketing and Product Development, Investment and Policy Committee, etc.); and undertake a mobilization and outreach programme to establish the Federation nationally. B. For the Member Trade Associations: The need for in-service training and staff upgrading for private sector firms continues to be a business issue in Ghana. It is one of the most important challenges that private sector firms face in the operation and growth of their businesses. The situation has come about largely as a result of the lack of fundamental capacity in areas critical to a well-functioning tourism industry. These include the weak capacity of firms, poorly trained workers, lack of quality standards, weak trade association leadership, and lack of effective advocacy skills. Training is the most frequently mentioned priority across all the private sector trade associations under the umbrella of the GHATOF. On-going enterprise and workplace training is an important prerequisite to private sector improved economic performance in the Tourism sector. It is key element in career advancement within a fast-changing tourism industry. The private sector in Tourism requires more capacity building services but has less capacity to accurately articulate their demand and fewer resources to attract quality providers at present. It is widely acknowledged that most private sector establishments, which ironically need the most capacity building, are not able to afford market rates for training, at least not in the short run. The industry is doing some ad hoc training for private sector but it has some way to go before effective training and development programmes are the norm in the industry. Only a few institutions are preparing private sector for career choices, giving them the needed skills; and improving their career development through training and development programmes. The Greatest challenges facing the Private Sector It has become apparent that the greatest challenges facing the Tourism led private sector in Ghana, is getting the tourism/hospitality industry to put in place a comprehensive training and capacity building programme to improve individual/firm capacity and performance for the industrys benefit. Building capacity of staff and executives who belong to GHATOF will yield results that improve the overall tourism sector performance. To overcome the training challenge and influence Tourism-led private sector performance in Ghana, GHATOF proposes the current institutional and human resource capacity building framework to assist the industry to give the needed skills to the large and steadily rising numbers of un-trained employees and managers who are executives and members of the GHATOF Trade Associations. These actions should prepare them for career choices and improve their career development. To drive the future of tourism and hospitality training in Ghana, it will be necessary for GHATOF to cooperate with private and public sector organizations, donors and other stakeholders to invest resources to (1) expand on private sector human resource development activities; (2) build private sector capacity for all aspects of the
1 Up till now the majority of the Federations activities are paid for by private donations, undertaken by voluntary work, or paid for through donor funding.

tourism/hospitality industry operations; (3) strengthen and consolidate itself as an apex body; and (4) galvanize its leadership to collectively work and provide effective leadership for the private sector. Particularly, GHATOF intends to: a. Provide a powerful and effective leadership in increasing access to coordinated and market-responsive Tourism sector training and capacity building services that are responsive to the needs of the private sector. Obtain sufficient financial resources to achieve the Industry training and capacity building priorities (change or industry-wide advances in the Tourism sector in Ghana can be influenced by investing such programme resources). Put in place comprehensive training and capacity building programme for all aspects of the tourism/hospitality industry and focused on both executives and staff. Organize training to enhance the participation of Trade Association leaders in Executive Council activities, and to show an interest in working under the umbrella organization. Organize training to inject professionalism in its activities. Undertake policy and regulatory Advocacy training. Influence public policy regarding the training and capacity building priorities. Influence the business community regarding the priorities. Engage with private and public sector institutions, donors, institutional service providers, and tourism sector development groups to address the training needs and concerns of the private sector.

b.

c.

d.

e. f. g. h. i.

If GHATOF were to access specialty expertise and services to achieve the priorities, it would attract new members to become more financially independent in the long run; achieve a leadership role in industry building; and help the industry operators to become recognised as providers of quality service. Were human resource development, Advocacy training, capacity, quality and performance building activities of members to be enhanced and improved, the competitiveness of the tourism and hospitality sector could be bolstered. Also, the quality of tourism products, job creation, Ghanas economic growth, income growth in the deprived communities, general standards of living, and ultimately the development of Ghanas tourism experience will be enhanced. The current needs assessment provides a reference point against which GHATOF will develop a framework for Training and Capacity Development for a Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (private sector) to improve industry productivity and enhance employment and income security for workers. The lessons learned and feedback received in the survey highlight the requirements of members of the GHATOF Trade Associations for training, established a baseline of all training activities in the Ghana Tourism sector, and made recommendations on a platform for setting up a training and capacity building programme for staff and executives who belong to GHATOF in the hotel, restaurant, tour and travel operations and tour guide sectors. GHATOF will stage its efforts accordingly to improve the standard and qualities of Tourism services provided by private sector, as well as contribute to poverty alleviation and wealth creation according to the priorities agreed in the assessment. It is in the light of the foregoing that the Vistalux Consultant was contracted to undertake the member Training Needs and Priorities Assessment process.

1.3

Desired End Status of GHATOF Training and Capacity Building Activities

On the basis of the data collected from the Trades Associations within GHATOF as well as discussions with GHATOF Executives, the Consultant has defined the desired end state of Formal Training and Capacity Building within the industry. Formal Training and Capacity Building Programmes includes all training activities, which have a structured format. That is a predefined objective, a specified content, progress is monitored, supervised and/or evaluated. Formal Training and Capacity Building entails the ability and willingness of personnel of GHATOF SMEs to learn, share experiences, and acquire new knowledge and innovation towards enhancing effectiveness. Formal Training and Capacity Building activities may be provided by internal staff, external trainers, suppliers, training institutions, colleges, universities, and unions, etc. They may be provided in the form of on-the-job training, workshops, lectures, tutorials, training seminars, audio-visual presentations, demonstration sessions, courses, apprenticeship training on- and off-the-job. GHATOF as an institution within the Tourism Industry, values Formal Training and Capacity Building. It has continuously promoted member training and capacity building through visible advocacy and other practices/programmes that help institutionalised training and personal development within the Tourism sector. 1.4 Terms Of Reference (TOR)

The full Terms of Reference for the assignment is provided at Annex 3. 1.4.1 Objectives of Assignment The main objectives of the assignment was to (a) conduct an institutional assessment of GHATOF and the 15 Trade Associations operating in various sub-sectors within the Tourism industry - lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering; and car rental sub-sectors; (b) determine the human capacity and other resources required in addressing the identified needs; and (c) indicate which areas GHATOF, SNV and other Donor Agencies/Development Partners can offer support. 1.4.2 Expected Outputs Based on the TOR, the Consultant was expected to present the following outputs to SNV and GHATOF: A comprehensive report with recommendations on the institutional development needs of each Trade Association and GHATOF itself. An overview of potential key areas for GHATOF, SNV and Other Donor Support. A report establishing the Institutional Capacity needs and Resources required for efficient service delivery standards in the Tourism Industry.

1.5

Methodology

1.5.1 Approaches and Methods Used The Consultant adopted a consulting approach in the execution of the assignment. This approach, which was participatory and collaborative, involved sustained consultations and discussions with key members of the trade associations at all stages of the consulting process. The primary objective of this approach was to ensure adequate association input and involvement in the design of the process, data collection and analysis, and

development of interventions so as to build consensus, commitment and a sense of ownership of both the process and the output. Within the participatory framework, specific methods used included the following: Holding meetings with the GHATOF Executive Council Members to discuss the work plan, the level of collaboration, and the essential inputs to be provided by the leadership of the Federation. Reviewing various documents including the Ministry of Tourism Five Year Strategic Action Plan, and other Tourism Human Resources Manual development documents. Interviewing the executives/members of the GHATOF and the 15 Trade Associations. Holding the focus group discussions with various GHATOF executives. Analysing the quantitative data captured during the interviews. The qualitative data from the personal interviews and focus group discussions was analyzed on the basis of content /themes. 1.5.2 Data Collection Data was collected via: a. A Desktop Review and Best Practice Case Studies of all recent articles, reports and documents relating to Private Sector Tourism Training and Capacity Building activities in Ghana. Interviews with 15 Trade Association Executives. The sample size of 35 was representative of the lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering; and car rental sectors within the Tourism Industry. The survey took place from 6th to 15th January 2005 and respondents came from the following trade associations: Full members: Ghana Association of Travel and Tour Association, National Drinking Bar Operators Restaurants and Nightclubs Association, Ghana Association, Car Rentals Association of Ghana, Tour Ghana and Tour Operators Union of Ghana. Agents, Ghana Hotels Association, Ghana Traditional Caterers Guides Association of

b.

Affiliate members: Forex Bureaux Association of Ghana, Africa Travel Association (Ghana Chapter), Hotel, Catering International Management Association, Skal Club International, Board of Airlines, Tourism Writers Association, and Ghana Tourism Society. The process of collecting data from each Trade Association was as follows: i. The Consultant held focus group discussions with the selected Executive/Member given the short-time available for the present work. The purpose of the meeting was to get to know each other and to enable the Consultant explain the mission and the process to be followed, and to plan for the assignment. Further, it was to assured them of the SNV and GHATOFs commitment to the survey and the confidentiality of the process. The Consultant also asked for their cooperation.

ii. The Consultant clarified questions/issues raised by the membership on the exercise and the process as a whole. iii. Next, questionnaires were administered individually to selected respondents and the Consultant assisted them to complete them. The completion of the questionnaires was followed by one-on-one personal interviews to clarify issues, identify any discrepancies and delve deeper into extreme responses. In

some instances the Consultant had to explain the statements in the questionnaires to staff in the local dialects. iv. Focus group discussions followed the personal interviews. v. A Feedback Meeting was held at the North Ridge Hotel in Accra on 15th January 2004 as part of the data collection and analysis process, to brief the leaders/members about the findings, observations and recommendations as captured by the Consultant. The feedback meeting afforded both the Consultant and the leaders/members to arrive at a consensus on the findings and recommendations, identify 2-3 major needs of each trade association, and plan the way forward. vi. In all the associations visited, the Consultant was accorded warm reception and the necessary cooperation. 1.6. Limitations Of The Assessment

The period for the field work, including travel time was too short, compelling the Consultant to work long hours to complete the exercise. In the absence of comprehensive records, respondents provided information on training from a variety of sources ranging from recall and informed opinions to detailed computerised training information systems.

2.0

FINDINGS

Some of the significant findings of the 2005 GHATOF Training Survey follow. The findings relate to the responses from respondents to statements in the Training Survey questionnaire. 2.1 Ghana Tourism Federation and The Trade Associations

The results of the survey indicate that GHATOF has successfully launched itself but needs to carry out new programmes and activities to sustain and professionalize itself. The Federations was clearly not well managed and well-run Federation. 70% of respondent generally agreed with the above statement. About 60% of respondents did not think that all in all GHATOF is an effectively managed, well-run organization. Some of the reasons could be attributed to the poor communication and networking, etc. Even though GHATOF, the Federation is transparent in terms of decision-making, information flow, policies and procedures, the issue of transparency was one that members in the personal interviews and group discussions did not think existed at GHATOF. Information flow was said to be a major problem. Delegation formed an important aspect of the work of GHATOF, but the extent of delegation depended largely on the management style of an executive and did not relate to a conscious organizational system or structure. Respondents claimed that some executives tended to delegate whilst others held on to everything. While the Federation is good at advocating for change, overall the respondents felt that GHATOF Executives did not feel empowered enough to confront issues. Consistent with the findings, there was a need to commence effective advocacy and private-public sector dialogue through GHATOF to achieve change (in areas like member activity enforcement, government recognition of trade associations, reductions in copyright licence fees payable, incentives and tax/duty exemptions to reduce the cost of operations and bring down prices, and the reduction in airfares).

GHATOF promoted a sense of belonging to the Tourism industry, but in the personal interviews and focus group discussions many respondents indicated that indeed had a sense of belonging more to their associations than to GHATOF. It also emerged from the focus group discussions that the Trade Associations tended to work independently of each other. This did not bring about synergy of efforts in the different areas of organization. Hence, there was little congruence between the trade association aspirations and the Federations goals. There was a need for strengthening the member secretariats to enhance their data collection, networking, service linkages and communication abilities. Apart from Ghana Traditional Caterers Association and the Tour Operators Union of Ghana, who had national and district secretariats, most associations have no resourced secretariats. The absence of formal secretariats results in activities that are ad hoc and are poorly coordination. The communication within executives, between executives and members, and between associations and operators who are not members is poor. Further, it was estimated that 75% of the trade associations wished to obtain sufficient and sustainable sources of funds for implementing programmes and activities efficiently. There were no opportunities for GHATOF Council Executive training and professional development. This came out of the personal interviews. Respondents wanted to see the industry organizing more workshops, seminars, in-house courses and occasional off-site training programmes to build the capacity of Executives. This happens to be the most

frequently mentioned priority across the associations. The trade associations identified the need for continuous training of their staff to improve their capacity to deliver excellent services, update their knowledge, and enhance their professional competence. Further, the Associations asked for the building of staff capacity to facilitate improvement of standards and level of professionalism, train selected stakeholders. (e.g. train senior managers, tour guides and other members in how to organize campaigns, attract, and train people who are interested in the principles of development and tourism). The Ghana Traditional Caterers Association wished to start a traditional cuisine-training institute to train Ghanaians, Tourists and Nationals of other countries in the preparation of quality Ghanaian cuisine. Another priority of GHATOF and the Trade Associations was business planning and financial sourcing for association activities.
2.2 Tourism Establishments

2.2.1 Location of Establishments Table 1 below shows the distribution of the establishments that provide additional training after engagement. Table 1: Location of Establishments
Lodging Food & Beverage Car Rental Travel & Tour Tour Guiding Traditional Catering Events Organizing Gr. Accra 40.7% 42.4% 100% 90.2% 24.1% 43.2% 19% Ashanti 12.5% 15.8% 3.3% 6.3% 11.5% 9.5% Eastern 10.5% 8.2% 6.3% 9.0% 9.5% Brong Ahafo 8.0% 4.4% 8.9% 6.4% 9.5% Western 7.8% 8.2% 3.3% 7.6% 7.7% 9.5% Central 7.2% 7.0% 7.6% 7.7% 4.8% Volta 5.8% 2.5% 3.3% 8.9% 5.1% 9.5% Northern 3.3% 7.0% 12.7% 3.8% 9.5% Upper East 2.2% 2.5% 8.9% 2.6% 9.5% Upper West 2.2% 1.5% 8.9% 2.6% 9.5%

10

The high concentration of establishments in Accra could be explained by the fact that the core management staff responsible for the establishments are based in Accra. 2.2.2 Number Of Years In Operation The number of years that the establishments have operated ranged from 1 to 40 years. The majority of establishments (over 80%), however have been in operation for 10 years or less. The average number of years of operation was 9. Table 2: Average Years of Operation Experience
Lodging Average Years of Experience Food and Beverage Car Rental Travel & Tour Operations Tour Guiding Traditional Catering Events Organizing

13 Years

11 Years

9 Years

9 Years

6 Years

12 Years

12 Years

2.2.3 Quality of Service and Relationships Ratings in Tourism Establishments The overall performance rating of employees was above average. This was based on feedback received on employees through informal conversations, debriefing sessions and use of Evaluation Forms in that order. Also, most establishments rated Client-Staff, Client-Management and Staff-Management relations as above average. (a) Lodging: Table 3: Quality Of Service Ratings
Guest Satisfaction Above Average Average Below Average 77.8% 20.2% 1.9% Guest-Staff Relation 80.8% 16.9% 2.3% GuestManagement Relation 77.5% 20% 2.3% StaffManagement Relations 73.7% 21.8% 4.4% Overall 64.1% 33% 2.6%

(b) Food & Beverage:

Guest Satisfaction Above Average Average Below Average 83.6% 33.5% 4.5% Guest-Staff Relation 82% 13.5% 4.2% GuestManagement Relation 85.9% 10.3% 3.8% StaffManagement Relations 85.3% 17.7% 7.0% Overall 77.9% 18.2% 3.8%

(c) Car Rental:

Guest Satisfaction Above Average Average Below Average 75.0% 25.0% 0% Guest-Staff Relation 87.5% 12.5% 0% GuestManagement Relation 69.3% 30.8% 0% StaffManagement Relations 84.6% 7.7% 0% Overall 81.2% 18.8% 0%

(d) Travel & Tour:

Guest Satisfaction Above Average Average Below Average 86.60% 11.70% 1.70% Guest-Staff Relation 88.30% 10.00% 1.70% GuestManagement Relation 83.10% 15.20% 1.70% StaffManagement Relations 88.50% 9.90% 1.60% Overall 82% 14.70% 3.30%

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(e) Tour Guiding:

Guest Satisfaction Above Average Average Below Average N/A N/A N/A Guest-Staff Relation N/A N/A N/A GuestManagement Relation N/A N/A N/A StaffManagement Relations N/A N/A N/A Overall 79.7% 20.3% 0%

(f) Traditional Catering:

Guest Satisfaction Above Average Average Below Average 70.5% 26.9% 2.1% Guest-Staff Relation 68.9% 28.6% 2.6% GuestManagement Relation 71.6% 25.7% 2.7% StaffManagement Relations 76.1% 21.3% 2.6% Overall 71.0% 27.6% 1.3%

(g) Events Organizing:

Guest Satisfaction Above Average Average Below Average 80.9% 19.1% 0% Guest-Staff Relation 77.8% 16% 5.6% GuestManagement Relation 66.7% 27.8% 5.6% StaffManagement Relations 57.9% 36.8% 5.3% Overall 71.4% 23.8% 4.8%

3.0 3.1

INDUSTRY WORKFORCE CHARACTERISTICS Estimated Number of Employees By Sector

The estimated total employment in the Tourism Sector was 130,000 in 2004 (64,501 direct; 55,499 indirect). Table 4: Number of Direct Tourism Industry Employees
Lodging Sector Estimated Total No. of Employees Estimated Number of establishments Average Personnel Per establishment 21,442 1,250 17 Food And Beverage Sector 8,610 547 16 Tour Guiding Sector 129 43 3 Travel & Tour Sector 248 35 7 Traditional Catering Sector 33,000 2,774 12 Car Rental Sector 841 46 18 Events Organizing 231 21 11

It is estimated that direct employment will increase to 300,000 in 2007 according to the Ministry of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital Citys projections. 3.2 Estimated Number of Employees - By Gender:

The categories of male and female employees interviewed were as follows:

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Table 5: Estimated Number of Employees Trained By Gender

Lodging Sector Male Female 65% 35% Food And Beverage Sector 57.9% 42.1% Tour Guiding Sector 87% 13% Travel & Tour Sector 59.3% 40.7% Traditional Catering Sector 16.7% 83.3% Car Rental Sector 86.7% 13.3% Events Organizing 66.7% 33.3%

The proportion of females to males is low. GHATOF as a Federation must strive for gender equity to resolve the issue of the under-representation of female staff. 3.3 Categorization of Employees

Establishments engaged both qualified professional and unqualified staff on a permanent basis, as follows: Table 6: Industry Employee Categorization
Professional 49% 57% N/A 30.6% 17% 73% 23.5% Males Support Staff 51% 43% N/A 69.4% 83% 27% 76.5% Females Professional Support Staff 51% 49% 64% 36% N/A N/A 34.9% 65.1% 34.9% 65.1% 32% 68% 23.8% 76.2%

Lodging Travel & Tour Tour Guiding Food & Beverage Traditional Catering Car Rental Events Organizing

3.4

Estimated Number Of Trained Employees

3.4.1 Number of Trained Employees - By Sector: Overall, 75 percent of private sector employees have received some form of structured formal training, but need further training to enhance their work performance. These range from 82% employees in the Travel and Tour sector to 64.1% employees in the Lodging sector. There was a positive correlation between quality of service provided by staff and the number of persons who require training. It is assumed that the proportion of quality service rated as average and below is proportionally related to the proportion of staff that needs training. Based on this assumption, it is estimated that the number of employees that need to be trained are: Table 7: Estimated Number of Employees Trained By Sector
Lodging Sector Estimated Total No. of Employees Percentage Trained Percentage Not Trained Percentage To be Trained Total Number of Employees To be Trained 21,442 64.1% 35.9% 35.9% 7,698 Food And Beverage Sector 8,610 77.9% 22.1% 22.1% 1,903 Tour Guiding Sector 129 79.7% 20.3% 20.3% 26 Travel & Tour Sector 248 82.0% 18.0% 18.0% 45 Traditional Catering Sector 33,000 71.0% 29.0% 29.0% 9,570 Car Rental Sector 841 81.2% 18.8% 18.8% 158 Events Organizing 231 71.4% 28.6% 28.6% 66

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3.5

Educational Level and Training Of Industry Staff - Before Engagement Table 8: Initial Educational Qualification of Employees

Various establishments hired staff with the following educational qualifications:

Sector Level of Education/Qualifications
Basic Professional e.g. Catering HND/ Diploma

No Formal Education

Lodging - Housekeeping - Front Office - Restaurant - Kitchen - Finance & Admin - Other Food & Beverage - Kitchen - Waiters - Barmen - Cleaners - Other Car Rental 7.5% Travel & Tour 2.2% Tour Guiding Traditional 36.1% Catering Events Organizing

Primary School Education

Jun./Sen. Sec. School

Univ. Degree

Voc./ Other Tertiary

Other

2.5% 6.9% -

27.9% 66.5% 48% 79.4% 32.2% 45.0% 47.8% 40.0% 37.1% 29.6%

10.9% 14% 15.9% 17.9% 22.1% 2.9% 19.2% 3.6% 6% 0.9% 5.1% 12.5% 11.1% 10.0% 3.3% 9.1%

16.9% 47.4% 27.2% 35.2% 68% 10.7% 10.2% 3.1% 8% 18.6 20.0% 10.0% 1.6% 14.8%

1% 0.5% 4.6% 5.9% 12.5% 11.3% 20.4%

33.9% 22.4% 20% 1.9% 3.4% 38.9% 8.7% 6.9% 14.8%

72.2% 38.6% 56.9% 46.9% 9.9% 86.4% 7.8% 3.9% 13.4% 17.8% 34.8% 20.0% 8.1% 11.1%

4.0 4.1

PRIVATE SECTOR TRAINING WITHIN TOURISM INDUSTRY Employee Training On Engagement

The survey established that a number of establishments provided Structured Formal Post-Employment Training to their employees after engagement, whilst others did not. Also, some establishments had their own training programmes in place. 85 percent of the respondents, however, indicated that Tourism industry employees needed training. 4.1.1 Additional Training Provided On Engagement Some establishments provided structured and formal training to their employees after engagement to make them functional whilst others did not. The provision rate was strongly influenced by the firm-size and industry sector. Organizations found in the Lodging and Food and Beverage sectors were most likely to provide such training. The Traditional Catering sector had the lowest provision rate. Table 9: Level of Provision of Additional Training on Engagement
Lodging Sector Provided Did Not Provide 70% 30% Food And Beverage Sector 74.8% 25.2% Tour Guiding Sector 68% 32% Travel & Tour Sector 68.6% 31.4% Traditional Catering Sector 11.5% 88.5% Car Rental Sector 57.1% 42.9% Events Organizing 89.5% 10.5%

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4.1.2 Types of Training Offered The training types provided to employees were: Table 11: Types Of Training
Sector Lodging Food & Beverage Car Rental Travel & Tour Tour Guiding Traditional Catering Events Organizing Types of Training Orientation, Managerial And Professional Courses, Workshops, Seminars, On-the Job Training, Attachments Orientation, Managerial And Professional Courses, Workshops, Seminars, On-the Job Training, Attachments Orientation, Professional Courses, Workshops, Seminars Orientation, Professional Courses, Workshops, Seminars, On-the Job Training, Attachments Orientation, Professional Courses, Workshops, Seminars, On-the Job Training, Attachments Orientation, Professional Courses, Workshops, Seminars, On-the Job Training, Orientation, Courses, Workshops, Seminars, On-the Job Training, Attachments

4.1.3 Institutions Providing The Initial Training Post-employment training was delivered in-house by experienced staff; or outside by private individuals, professional institutions such as HOTCATT, EMPRETEC, and the Ghana Tourist Board. Table 12: Training Institutions
Sector Lodging Food & Beverage Car Rental Travel & Tour Tour Guiding Traditional Catering Events Organizing Institutions That Trained Employees In-House, HOTCATT, Consultancy Firms, Ghana Tourist Board, Attachment to other Hotels, Foreign Institutions, Private Tourism Institutions, GIMPA, IPS, Unilever, and Individual HR Practitioners & Institutions Internal Staff, External Consultants, And Private Training Institutions In-House, Shell Training School, CRAG and HR Persons & Institutions Internal Staff, External Consultants, Ghana Airways Training School, HOTCATT, Individuals And Private Training Institutions Ghana Tourist Board, HOTTCATT, NCRC, Wildlife Division of Forestry Commission, Tour Companies, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Red Cross Society, District Assemblies. In-House using experienced personnel, Vendors like Unilever, GTB, Catering Schools and Vocational Schools In-house by experienced staff; Institutions like Ghana National Commission on Culture, School of Performing Arts, Chieftaincy Secretariat; as well as Individuals.

4.1.4 Duration of Initial Training The average duration of training was 2 weeks. 4.1.5 Did Additional Training Meet Requirements Respondents indicated that the training of employees met the needs of their establishments as follows: Table 13: Training Effectiveness
Lodging Sector Yes Met their Needs No - Did not Needs 60.5% 39.5% Food And Beverage Sector 95.6% 4.4% Tour Guiding Sector 91% 9% Travel & Tour Sector 90.5% 9.5% Traditional Catering Sector 70% 30% Car Rental Sector 72.7% 27.3% Events Organizing 100% 0%

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4.2

Staff Development Activities

A large majority of the establishments covered did not have staff development programmes (SDPs) in place. Table 15: Staff Development Programmes
Lodging Sector Have SDPs Have No SDPs 34.5% 65.5% Food And Beverage Sector 37% 63% Tour Guiding Sector 40% 60% Travel & Tour Sector 47.3% 52.7% Traditional Catering Sector 11.5% 88.5% Car Rental Sector 46.7% 53.3% Events Organizing 75% 25%

Staff development programmes are organised through in-service training, attachments to other establishments, workshops, seminars, and formal and professional training in institutions. For those establishments that had SDPs, the criteria for staff participation included qualification, sincerity and performance. Staff were made staff aware of the SDPs through Procedures Manuals, One-On-One Conversations, and Memos amongst others.

5.0 5.1

INDUSTRY TRAINING DEMANDS Training Needs The responses

Respondents were asked to rank their training needs in various areas. were grouped into high and low priority. 5.1.1 Major Training Needs

The high priority training needs of the different industry sectors were as follows: Table 16: Training Needs
Sector Lodging Identified Training Needs Front Desk Management; Customer Care/Relations; Housekeeping Operation Management; General Management; Restaurant Operation Management; Kitchen Operation Management; Communication Skills; Finance and Administration; Bar Operation Management; Marketing of Services Customer Care/Relations; Waiter Skills; Food Preparation and Handling; Personal Hygiene; Communication Skills; Food Hygiene; Food Service; Record Keeping; Kitchen Skills Customer Care/Relations; Map Reading; Defensive Driving; Vehicle Maintenance Customer Care/Relations; Ticketing & Reservation; Tourism Management; Computer Skills General Management; Safety and Security; Communication Skills; Customer Care/ Relations; Tourism Management; Tour Guiding Techniques; Ghana Geography Customer Care/Relations; General Hygiene; Communication Skills; General Management; Food Presentation; Personal Hygiene Customer Care/Relations; Organization & Planning; Stage Management; General Management Tourism Sector Human Resource Management; Committees Development; Website/ Information/Data Management; Trade Association Management; Business Planning and Financial Sourcing; Computer Literacy and Appreciation; Product and Marketing Development; Advocacy and Networking skills; Executive Development; Governing Council Development; Newsletter Production; HIV/AIDS Mainstream.

Food and Beverage Car Rental Travel And Tour Operations Tour Guiding Traditional Catering Events Organizing Apex Organization

16

5.1.2 The Prioritised Training Needs The needs considered by the associations to be relevant to the operations of the establishments in the various sub-sectors, ranked according to the order of importance were as follows: Table 17: High Priority Training Needs
Lodging Sector Prioritisation Of Training Needs 1. Front Desk Management; 2. Customer Care/Relations; 3. Safety and Security; 4. Guest-Client Relation Management; 5. Total Quality Management; 6. Sales Management; 7. Marketing of Services; 8. Good Selling Techniques; 9. Communication Skills; 10. Motivation; 11. Designing Market Plans; 11. HR Management; 11. Team Work/Team Building; 11. Correct Cocktail Presentation & Garnishes; 11. Hospitality Operations Management; 11. Hotel Management & Administration; 11. Building Morale; 11. Staff Discipline; 11. Handling Complaints/Grievances; 11. Speed and Attitude Towards Customers 1. Safe Working Conditions/Habits; 2. Staff Reaction To Emergency Situations; 3. Standard Recipe Development; 4. Customer Care/Relations; 4. Communication Skills; 5. Good Knowledge of Alcoholic Beverages; 6. Fire Drills; 7. Personal Appearance; 8. Health Department Regulations; 9. Good Selling Techniques; 10. Kitchen Hygiene; 11. Food Presentation; 11. Personal Hygiene; Team Work/Team Building; 11. Correct Cocktail Presentation & Garnishes; 11. Standard Cocktail Recipe Development; 11. Good Selling Techniques; 11. Recycling Procedures; 11. Staff Attitudes During Service; 11. Equipment Maintenance; 11. Correct Table Presentation; 11. Bar Cleanliness; 11. Reliable Order Taking 1. Safe Driving Skills; 2. Customer Care/Relations; 3. General Hygiene; 4. General Management; 5. Organization & Planning; 6. HR Management 1. Customer Care/Relations; 2. Ticketing & Reservation; 3. Front Desk Management; 4. Organization & Planning; 5. General Management; 6. Ghana Geography; 7. Safety and Security; 8. AIDS Awareness; 9. Safe Driving Skills; 10. General Hygiene; 11. HR Management; 11. Logistics Management 1. Customer Care/Relations; 2. Ghana Geography; 3. General Management; 4. Organization & Planning; 5. AIDS Awareness; 6. General Hygiene; 7. HR Management; 8. Logistics Management; 9. Safe Driving Skills 1. Customer Care/Relations; 2. General Hygiene; 3. Communication Skills; 4. General Management; 5. Personal Hygiene; 6. Food Presentation; 6. Food Storage; 6. Serving Skills 1. Organization & Planning; 2. Customer Care/Relations; 3. General Management; 4. Stage Management 1. Tourism Sector Human Resource Management; 2. Apex Association Committee Development; 3. Website/ Information/Data Management; 4. Management of Trade Associations; 5. Business Planning and Financial Sourcing; 6. Computer Literacy and Appreciation for Executives; 7. Product and Marketing Development; 8. Advocacy and Networking Skills; 9. Executive Development; 10. Governing Council Training; 11. Newsletter Production; 12. HIV/AIDS Mainstream Programme.

Food and Beverage

Car Rental Travel And Tour Operations Tour Guiding Traditional Catering Events Organizing
Apex Organization

5.1.3 The Established Industry Training Needs We combined priority standings of the identified training needs to develop a prioritized list of training needs for the industry. The 20 areas that needed the most attention through training (in order of importance) were: Table 18: Industry Training Needs
Training Need Customer Care/Relations Associations Needing Training GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. Rank 1

17

Advocacy and Networking General Management Executive Development Organization & Planning Governing Council & Committee Activities General Hygiene Trade Association Management Front Desk Management Business Planning and Financial Sourcing Communication Skills Product and Marketing Development Ghana Geography Safety and Security Safe Driving Skills Safe Working Conditions/Habits HR Management Ticketing & Reservation AIDS Awareness Staff Reaction To Emergency Situations Standard Recipe Development Guest-Client Relation Management Stage Management Total Quality Management Personal Hygiene Good Knowledge of Alcoholic Beverages Sales Management Good Selling Techniques Food Presentation Food Storage Serving Skills Fire Drills

GHATOF, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHATOF, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS GHATOF; GATTA; GRNA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; HCIMA GHATOF, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; HCIMA GHATOF, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS GATTA; GHA; TOUGHA; HCIMA; SKAL GHATOF, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHATOF, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS GATTA; TORGAG; TOUGHA; CRAG; GTS GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; HCIMA CRAG; GATTA GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; HCIMA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GATTA; TORGAG; TOUGHA; ATA; SKAL; GTS. GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL GHA; HCIMA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; HCIMA; GTCA GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; BAR; GTS. GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; BAR; GTS. GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA

1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 12 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 15

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Marketing of Services Safe Driving Skills Personal Appearance Logistics Management Health Department Regulations Motivation Designing Market Plans Kitchen Hygiene Team Work/Team Building Cocktail Presentation & Garnishes Hospitality Operations Management Hotel Management & Administration Building Morale Staff Discipline Handling Complaints/Grievances Speed and Attitude Towards Customers Standard Cocktail Recipe Development Good Selling Techniques Recycl ing Procedures Staff Attitudes During Service Bar Cleanliness Reliable Order Taking

GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; BAR; GTS. CRAG; GATTA GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHATOF; GHA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHATOF; GATTA; GHA; NADBOA; GRNA; GTCA; CRAG; TORGAG; TOUGHA; GHAFORB; ATA; HCIMA; SKAL; TWA; BAR; GTS. GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA GHA; GRNA; GTCA; HCIMA; NADBOA

16 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

Key: Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF); Ghana Association of Travel and Tour Agents (GATTA); Ghana Hotels Association (GHA); National Drinking Bar Operators Association (NADBOA); Ghana Restaurants and Nightclubs Association (GRNA); Ghana Traditional Caterers Association (GTCA); Car Rentals Association of Ghana (CRAG); Tour Guides Association of Ghana (TORGAG); Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA); Ghana Association of Fore Bureaux (GHAFORB); Africa Travel Association (ATA); Hotel, Catering International Management Association (HCIMA); Skal Club International (SKAL); Tourism Writers Association (TWA); Board of Airlines (BAR); Ghana Tourism Society (GTS).

5.2 Training Programmes To Address Established Training Needs The following training programmes were recommended for various categories of employees to address the Training Needs identified.

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Table 19: Recommended Training Programmes

Programme 1. Training of Trainers Training Programme Methodology Target Group GHATOF and Trade Association Executives and members who have the potential to train others. Employers/ Continuous Training Managers & Staff and Professional from of different Development sectors of the Programmes in Tourism Industry recommended areas. from all over These are: Ghana. Anticipated Outcome Potential Trainers capacitated to run subsequent training sessions in their area of expertise. Human resources development integrated into the set up of business operations. Key Result Areas We will have a group who will assist us in training others and implementing a training programme We will have improved capacity of private sector employees in tourism services delivery, and updated knowledge and enhanced professional competence of private sector employees. We will have Executives who are capable of effectively handling GHATOF as well as their own businesses.

2. Tourism Sector Human Resource Training and Development Programme

3. Executive Development Programme

4. GHATOF Governing Council Member Training

Seminar/Training in areas such as Strategic Management, Change Management, Interpersonal Skills; Leadership, Teamwork, Communication, Mentoring & Coaching, Time Management, etc Seminars; provision of supporting materials; and study trip overseas by GHATOF President, Vice President, and Other Executives to meet Counterparts and to receive specific best practice training.

All GHATOF Executives & Governing Council Members

Better business managers and Trade Association Executives.

Governing Council and Working Committees

5. GHATOF Advocacy and Networking Workshop

Workshops

Governing Council and Working Committees

6. Training In Trade Association Management

Seminars

Trade Association Executives & GHATOF Governing Council Members

Creation of consensus, adoption of best practice s in governing council management, achievement of a leadership role in industry building; effective participation as a tripartite operator; effective role in public-private participation; and ability to make a case for change (e.g. for tax exemptions) Effective privatepublic sector dialogue through GHATOF (the apex organization) and networking with other organizations with similar aims and visions to achieve change that is beneficial to the tourism sector. Creation of consensus, adoption of best practice in leading and managing trade associations, and getting the proper recognition from government for the

We will enhance the Governing Council member performance and consensus building.

We will enhance GHATOF ability to advocate and network for change and industry benefits.

We will enhance member association executive ability to run their associations, work with the apex association, and improve consensus

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7. Product and Marketing Development Support

Seminars to promote the provision of wellpackaged information on tourism in Ghana for distribution globally. Workshops to help the operators understand the trends in lending, factors affecting loan decisions, tips on how to improve the chances of securing loans, creative collateral, what is a bankable proposition, and alternative sources of finance, loan amortization and credit worthiness. Training, and Material Development

The Trade Associations

8. Business Planning and Financial Sourcing Workshop

All Operators

member associations. Significant met needs for the GHATOF member associations in the areas of accurate directional signage, developed tourism packages. Private operators can obtain sufficient and cheaper sources of funds for implementing programmes and activities efficiently and thereby provide service at a cheaper rate.

building. We will assist GHATOF to increase awareness about Ghana as a tourism destination. We assist private operators to obtain sufficient and cheaper sources of funds for implementing programmes and activities efficiently.

9. Newsletter, Website, Data & Information Management Workshops

GHATOF Information & Protocol Committee; Secretariat Staff

Staff of GHATOF member associations computerize, create and manage a website, databases, etc that result in less paperwork, bureaucracy and better information management.

We will assist GHATOF to sustain Information Management to encourage industry cooperation and increase awareness of private sector activities.

5.3

Duration of Recommended Employee Training Programmes Table 20: Duration of Training Programmes
Lodging Sector Food And Beverage Sector 26.8% Tour Guiding Sector 12.1% Travel & Tour Sector 21.8% Traditional Catering Sector 37.3% Car Rental Sector Events Organizing

The preferred duration of Training Programmes is varied and is as follows:

Training Programmes of less than 1week duration Training Programmes between 1-2 weeks duration Training Programmes of more than 2 weeks duration Other

22.9%

42.9%

21.1%

52.0%

53.7%

54.5%

34.4%

49.2%

42.9%

31.6%

17.2% 7.9%

19.5% -

15.2% 18.2%

43.8% -

13.5% -

14.2% -

47.3% -

5.4

Support For The Training Programmes

Training is completely funded by the Employer or by the Employee. Sometimes it is funded jointly by the Employer and Employee; or by donors. Only a few employers

21

provide funds for their employees to participate in training programmes and this is for courses in Ghana. Some will support their employees to participate in training activity that employees themselves paid. Table 21: Quality Of Service Ratings
Who Funds Full Training Activity Employer Provide Funds For Training Employees Pays For Training Themselves Yes No Yes No 88.0% 12.0% 100.0% 91.5% 8.5% 96.4% 3.6% 91.0% 9.0% 100.0% 0.0% 80.4% 19.6% 92.1% 7.9% 78.9% 21.1% 94.8% 5.2% 93.3% 6.7% 100.0% 0.0% 94.4% 5.6% 88.9% 11.1%

Lodging Travel & Tour Tour Guiding Food & Beverage Traditional Catering Car Rental Events Organizing

Employers are reluctant to fund training programmes by citing reasons like trained staff will resign to seek better jobs after training, lack of funds, courses are expensive, and they have inadequate staffing to allow for the release of some for training. Some training is donor funded.

6.0 6.1

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Current Training

Currently 75% of employees have received some form of training for the work they do. The Training covered areas like Front Desk Management; Customer Care; Housekeeping Operations; Restaurant Operations; Kitchen Skills; Bar Operations; Waiter Skills; Food Preparation and Handling; Personal Hygiene; Food Hygiene; Kitchen Skills; Map Reading; Defensive Driving; Vehicle Maintenance; Ticketing & Reservation; Safety and Security; Tour Guiding; Tour Operations; Ghana Geography; Defensive Driving; Ground Handling; Park Interpretation; Training on Primates and Birds; First Aid; Traffic Management. The training was delivered in-house or on-the-job to a large extent; and by institutions such as HOTCATT, Consultancy Firms, Ghana Tourist Board, Foreign Institutions, Private Tourism Institutions, GIMPA, IPS, Unilever, Individual HR Practitioners, Ghana Tourist Board, NCRC, Wildlife Division of Forestry Commission, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, the Red Cross Society, Driving Schools, and the District Assemblies depending on the field of endeavour. Lastly, employees were attached to other hotels, car rental companies, and tour companies, etc. The average duration of training was 2 weeks. 6.1.1 Institutions that Provided Training For Staff A large majority of establishments covered did not have staff development programmes (SDPs) in place. The few that provided development programmes for staff organised the programmes through in-service training, attachments to other establishments, workshops, seminars, and formal and professional training in institutions. The criteria for staff participation included qualification, sincerity and performance. They made staff aware of the SDPs through Procedures Manuals, One-On-One Conversations, and Memos amongst others.

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6.1.2 Effectiveness of Existing Training Respondents indicated that the employee training programmes delivered, met the needs of their establishments. 60.5% in the Lodging Sector; 95.6% in the Food & Beverage Sector; 91% in the Tour Guiding Sector; 90.5% in the Travel & Tour Sector; 70% in the Traditional Catering Sector; 72.7% in the Car Rental Sector; and 100% in the Events Organizing indicated that the training programmes met their needs 6.2 Major Training Needs Identified Table 22: Major Training Needs
Establishments 1. Front Desk Management; 2. Customer Care/Relations; 3. Safety and Security; 4. Guest-Client Relation Management; 5. Total Quality Management; 6. Sales Management; 7. Marketing of Services; 8. Good Selling Techniques; 9. Communication Skills; 10. Motivation; 11. Designing Market Plans; 11. HR Management; 11. Team Work/Team Building; 11. Correct Cocktail Presentation & Garnishes; 11. Hospitality Operations Management; 11. Hotel Management & Administration; 11. Building Morale; 11. Staff Discipline; 11. Handling Complaints/Grievances; 11. Speed and Attitude Towards Customers 1. Safe Working Conditions/Habits; 2. Staff Reaction To Emergency Situations; 3. Standard Recipe Development; 4. Customer Care/Relations; 4. Communication Skills; 5. Good Knowledge of Alcoholic Beverages; 6. Fire Drills; 7. Personal Appearance; 8. Health Department Regulations; 9. Good Selling Techniques; 10. Kitchen Hygiene; 11. Food Presentation; 11. Personal Hygiene; Team Work/Team Building; 11. Correct Cocktail Presentation & Garnishes; 11. Standard Cocktail Recipe Development; 11. Good Selling Techniques; 11. Recycling Procedures; 11. Staff Attitudes During Service; 11. Equipment Maintenance; 11. Correct Table Presentation; 11. Bar Cleanliness; 11. Reliable Order Taking 1. Safe Driving Skills; 2. Customer Care/Relations; 3. General Hygiene; 4. General Management; 5. Organization & Planning; 6. HR Management 1. Customer Care/Relations; 2. Ticketing & Reservation; 3. Front Desk Management; 4. Organization & Planning; 5. General Management; 6. Ghana Geography; 7. Safety and Security; 8. AIDS Awareness; 9. Safe Driving Skills; 10. General Hygiene; 11. HR Management; 11. Logistics Management 1. Customer Care/Relations; 2. Ghana Geography; 3. General Management; 4. Organization & Planning; 5. AIDS Awareness; 6. General Hygiene; 7. HR Management; 8. Logistics Management; 9. Safe Driving Skills 1. Customer Care/Relations; 2. General Hygiene; 3. Communication Skills; 4. General Management; 5. Personal Hygiene; 6. Food Presentation; 6. Food Storage; 6. Serving Skills 1. Organization & Planning; 2. Customer Care/Relations; 3. General Management; 4. Stage Management 1. Advocacy and Networking; 2. Executive Development; 3. GHATOF Governing Council Member Operations; 4. GHATOF Committees Operations; 5. Trade Association Management; 6. Business Planning and Financial Sourcing; 7. Product and Marketing Development

The major training needs identified were:

Lodging

Food and Beverage Car Rental

Travel And Operations Tour Guiding

Tour

Traditional Catering GHATOF

6.4

Estimation Of Numbers Of Persons To Be Trained

In estimating the number of persons to be trained in the lodging, travel and tour sectors, the following assumptions were made: Table 6: Number of Persons To Be Trained
Lodging Sector Food And Beverage Sector Tour Guiding Sector Travel & Tour Sector Traditional Catering Sector Car Rental Sector Events Organizing

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Estimated Total No. of Employees Total Number of Employees To be Trained

21,442 7,698

8,610 1,903

129 26

248 45

33,000 9,570

841 158

231 66

6.5

Further Suggestions For A Training Programme

The respondents suggested that more in-depth knowledge in the following areas could help enhance the quality of the capacity building/training programme and improve efficiency: Training should be made more affordable. Training should be free and compulsory; so many Tourism industry employees can attend. Training should be organized on a regular basis (say every month), to suit the needs of the challenging Tourism industry. Training programmes should be specific and relevant to the specific sub-sectors. Programmes should be evaluated regularly to assess their performance and to help design appropriate training programmes to enhance efficiency in the Industry. Training should be organized at the district level to enable employers to release most of their workers to participate in the programmes. Training should be organized around SME localities to enable many employees to participate in and also reduce cost. GTB should set up learning libraries in all their regional offices. Donor agencies should assist with the sponsorship of Tourism industry training as small scale establishments have financial constraints to pay for staff to attend training. Government should provide for training There is a need for regular in-service training for Tourism industry staff Training for SMEs should be institutionalised.

7.0 7.1

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions

The 2005 Assessment of Priorities and Training Needs of the GHATOF member associations provided new baseline data on the level of training effort in the Tourism Private Sector, as well as the nature of training activities. The results of the survey amply established the need for the design of appropriate training strategies and programmes to strengthen the human resource base in the lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering; and car rental sectors. The largest concentration of staff is in the Traditional Catering Sector followed by the Lodging Sector and the Food and Beverage Sector. There is under representation of females among the staff (only 28% of total staff). 75% of employees in the industry have received some form of training for what they do, but over 80 percent of respondents indicated that this training was provided mostly in-house and on-the-job.

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 Also, the results show that the quality of service must be improved upon, and it would require training to bring about the expected improvement. 19,466 persons needed training within the Tourism industry. All the GHATOF Trade Association executives interviewed indicated that there was the need for appropriate training to strengthen the Tourism Sectors Human Resource base. A significant proportion of employees will require constant exposure to current trends in hospitality training to make the employees more functional and efficient. Any training programme designed to enhance performance, would enjoy the support of all establishments that are members of the GHATOF Trade Association and work in the lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering, and car rental sub-sectors. These had indicated a willingness to (a) provide funds for their employees to participate in training programmes organized in Ghana; or (b) support their employees to participate in training programmes if the employees paid for it themselves. The employers are however, mindful of the duration of the training courses and the cost of training. The enthusiasm to support training coupled with the need to constantly sustain efficiency in the accommodation sector made good sense for the institution of GHATOF SME Capacity Building and Training Programme in Ghana as the paramount and ultimate training need. GHATOF was interested in advancing industry training to maintain efficiency and improve upon quality of service within the industry. The training should also help GHATOF to transform its own bureaucratic culture into a task culture that emphasises teamwork. 7.2 Recommendations

The recommendations made in this section are in respect of the lessons learned and feedback received in this survey from all member trade associations. A comparison of the preferred or suggested major training needs and the prioritized ranking of the listed training areas of great need, indicated that training areas under customer care was ranked the highest, followed by Advocacy and Networking, General Management, Executive Development, Organization & Planning, Governing Council & Committee Activities, General Hygiene, Trade Association Management, Front Desk Management, Business Planning and Financial Sourcing, Communication Skills, Product and Marketing Development, Ghana Geography, Safety and Security, Safe Driving Skills, Safe Working Conditions/Habits, HR Management, Ticketing & Reservation, AIDS Awareness, Staff Reaction To Emergency Situations, Standard Recipe Development, Guest-Client Relation Management, Stage Management, Total Quality Management, Personal Hygiene, Good Knowledge of Alcoholic Beverages, Sales Management, Good Selling Techniques, Food Presentation, Food Storage, Serving Skills, Fire Drills, Marketing of Services, Safe Driving Skills, Personal Appearance, Logistics Management, Health Department Regulations, Motivation, Designing Market Plans, Kitchen Hygiene, Team Work/Team Building, Cocktail Presentation & Garnishes, Hospitality Operations Management, Hotel Management & Administration, Building Morale, Staff Discipline, Handling Complaints/Grievances, Speed and Attitude Towards Customers, Standard Cocktail Recipe Development, Good Selling Techniques, Recycling Procedures, Staff Attitudes During Service, Bar Cleanliness, and Reliable Order Taking. Any training programme should be tailormeasured to address these specific areas of greatest training needs.

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As the majority of Tourism establishments did not have staff development programmes in place, the establishments must be encouraged to invest in set up staff training and development activities to enhance staff performance on the job. There is the need for a structured and formal programme of training to address the areas as were identified in the analysis of needs and prioritization of training needs and GHATOF must link up with other partners to put in place a comprehensive training platform for the benefit of the industry. Creating a Structured Formal Training Programme will yield results that improve the overall performance and efficiency of the Tourism sector. Not only would it help improve upon individual and firm capacity, but it would enhance the quality of service and performance of individuals and firms within the industry. GHATOF must seek access specialty expertise and services to undertake key activities and programmes that the private sector needs in order to meet its priorities and develop programmes to promote tourism led economic growth. Specialty expertise and services are required to implement training programmes like: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) k) l) m) Tourism Sector Human Resource Development GHATOF Advocacy and Networking Workshop Executive Development Programme for all GHATOF Members GHATOF Governing Council Member Training GHATOF Committees Support Development Training In Trade Association Management Business Planning and Financial Sourcing Workshops Computer Literacy and Appreciation for Association Executives Product and Marketing Development Support Website Management Newsletter Production and Maintenance Support Support to develop business tools HIV-AIDS Training

The implementation of training in the areas listed above is also in compliance with the Industry 5-Year Strategic Action Plan for Ghana. GHATOF must forge closer collaboration with other stakeholders (public sector agencies, private sector individuals and agencies and donors) in the Tourism industry to implement industry training programmes for the benefit of the membership in the lodging, travel and tour operations, tour guiding, food and beverage; traditional catering; and car rental sectors. In this respect, SNV could assist GHATOF to develop the comprehensive training platform for the benefit of the industry. To help achieve the industry priorities for training, GHATOF must:

i.

Obtain sufficient financial resources.

ii. Influence public policy regarding the priorities. iii. Influence the business community regarding priorities. iv. Achieve a leadership role in developing the industry training programmes. v. Access speciality expertise and services to achieve the priorities. vi. Link with other hospitality training groups. vii. Work to change current perceptions regarding quality through training, and become recognised as promoter of training for quality service.

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viii.Establish proactive strategies.

ix. Promote/garner, to the greatest extent possible, loyalty and commitment Meetings should be held with the stakeholders for their inputs or contributions to be incorporated into the designated Training Programmes. GHATOF should link up with major Training Institutions to set up Hospitality Training Units for their members. The set up of the Units is the ultimate training need of the Tourism industry. The findings of this report should inform the design of training programmes by such Units. In designing training programmes for the industry the specific training needs of the different sub-sectors have to be taken into consideration. For instance, training programmes for the Traditional Catering and for the Food and Beverage sub-sectors should be organized separately. Training programmes should be organized all around Ghana and in the localities of SMEs with the view to reducing the cost of training and encouraging the maximum participation in such courses. Training programmes should be organized regularly, in modules and for short durations (with a maximum duration of 2 weeks), as the majority of respondents were willing to support courses of 1-2 weeks duration). Courses should be organized in local languages (wherever possible) since some employees in the industry have no formal education. The training should be made affordable. Employees should be made to pay a token charge towards training since 100 percent of establishments will support employee-paid-for training programmes. Otherwise they should be sponsored, not by their employers, but by some other source of funding. Such training can be supported by donor agencies. Employees sponsored by their employers to undergo training should be bonded to serve their sponsors for a specific period of time after training. NEXT STEPS

to the apex organization

8.0

The 2005 Assessment of Priorities and Training Needs of the GHATOF member associations provided new baseline data on the level of training effort in the Tourism. Next, the Consultant will, if permitted in a follow-up exercise: 1. Identify best practices that will enable GHATOF to support the training and development of innovation in the industry and to aim for high standards. 2. Develop an objective, strategy and action plan for a GHATOF Training and Capacity Building Programme to strengthen itself (GHATOF) organizationally, the member Trade Associations, and the members of the Trade Associations. 3. Propose implementable and sustainable interventions/recommendations for building GHATOF capacity and best practices on the basis of the needs assessment and in areas such as Enhancing association international networking and advocacy actions. Building up manpower training programmes that allow for development of high levels of competence and provision of good quality service. Organizing programmes to support the development of trade association secretariat staff capacity, etc.

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4. Present findings and draft recommendations to stakeholders in a workshop. 5. Prepare and submit report, clearly outlining the best practices, next steps and overall recommendations. to be organized, the content, duration and cost of training. The Consultant realizes that many of the actions proposed in the previous chapter cannot be introduced over-night. We propose a staged implementation of the recommendations as follows: i. Approve recommendations ii. Prepare Training and Capacity Building Programme iii. Constitute GHATOF Training Unit iv. Implement Training and Capacity Building Programme for all categories of staff v. Institutionalise the Training and Capacity Building Programme vi. Monitor and evaluate the Training and Capacity Building process A description of the possible Training and Capacity Building Activities, going forward, is presented in Annex 1.

9.0

CONCLUSION

promote/garner, to the greatest extent possible, loyalty and commitment to the apex organization. The resulting training programmes and activities that are recommended by the needs assessment will be good for Ghana, good for business, and also good for the bottom-line of GHATOF members. In this respect SNV assistance to GHATOF in developing the comprehensive training platform is very beneficial for the Tourism industry.

The challenges facing Ghana in the private sector delivery of tourism are immense requiring a strong, well-strengthened and nationally represented private sector federation to mobilize member collective strength to improve tourism sector performance. GHATOF is capable and willing to assume the leadership role in mobilizing the collective effort to achieve the industry training priorities, and will call upon all of the key stakeholders who are vital in the delivery of tourism services to join in this effort. If GHATOF is able to access specialty expertise and services to achieve the training priorities it would help change current perceptions regarding quality and industry training, and would

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ANNEX 1

GHATOF TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMME Key Activities, Budget And Support Requirements 1. Key Activities
A description of the possible Training and Capacity Building Activities, going forward, is presented below:
Activity Identify best practices that will enable GHATOF to support the training and development of innovation in the industry and to aim for high standards. Propose implementable and sustainable interventions/ recommendations for building GHATOF capacity and best practices on the basis of the needs assessment and in areas such as Enhancing association international networking and advocacy actions. Building up manpower training programmes that allow for development of high levels of competence and provision of good quality service. Organizing programmes to support the development of trade association secretariat staff capacity, etc. Meeting with the National Executives of GHATOF and the Trade Associations to present findings and draft recommendations in a workshop. Anticipated Outcome We will prepare the Training and Capacity Building Programme Key Result Areas A report, clearly outlining the best practices, next steps and overall recommendations. to be organized, the content, duration and cost of training will be prepared and submitted. Developed and strengthened partnerships amongst stakeholders. We will be ready to undertake the Training and Capacity Building programme. We will have a Team in place to implement the Training and Capacity Building programme. The Training and Capacity Building programme is implemented and institutionalised. The programme will be ready for evaluation

Develop an objective, strategy and action plan for a GHATOF Training and Capacity Building Programme to strengthen itself (GHATOF) organizationally, the member Trade Associations, and the members of the Trade Associations, incorporating feedback from evaluation. Constitute GHATOF Training Unit

We will have the recommendations approved; and we would be able to identify strategic areas for training and capacity building. The Training Strategy and Plan will be ready.

Consultant and GHATOF Training Team in place.

Implement Training and Capacity Building Activities that were identified for all categories of staff

Industry people are trained

Monitoring and Evaluation Evaluation Auditing

Identify the lessons learned from the pilot Identify the lessons learned from programme

We will ready to continue with the programme for the next year

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2. Budget We will need to budget for the key activities for the Training and Capacity Building Programme. This will cover the training of trainers programme, the other training programmes, transport, personnel costs for coordinating, monitoring and evaluate programme effectiveness, and funds to hold programme launch and review meetings. The budget will be for a two year period.

3. Support Required The specific public private sector and donor requirements for implementing the prevention education programme are as follows: A. Support Requested From Donor Agencies (SNV) Funding the implementation of the training the trainers programmes. Providing support for procuring/producing training materials required. Providing funds for vehicles and fuel for trips to SME localities to hold Training programmes. Funding the accommodation and meals in the SME localities during training. Assisting the associations to manage the Private Sector Training and Capacity Building programme (support the Remuneration for a Training Consultant and Project Assistant who will coordinate, monitor and evaluate the programme effectiveness). Supporting the drafting and reproduction of programme reports. Funding for the review meetings.

B. Support Requested From The Public Sector (Ministry of Tourism/GTB) Provide a resource person for some of the training programmes. Supply some brochures and materials needed for carrying out the training. Assist with arrangement of logistics at each regional/district site for the training programmes.

C. Support Requested From Private Sector Support (GHATOF/Trade Assocs.) Ensure that the members of the GHATOF Executive Committee are present at the launch and close of training sessions. Assist with the mobilization of funds for programmes. Arrange the time and venues for training. Supply names of members to be trained. Coordinate with the membership to show up for programmes. Organize distribution and collection of training evaluation forms. Ensure monitoring and evaluation of programme.

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ANNEX 2

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS IN GHATOF SURVEY

The Names of the Trade Associations and Executives Interviewed:

Name of Trade Association 1. Ghana Tourism Federation 2. Ghana Hotels Association 3. Ghana Restaurants and Nightclubs Association 4. Car Rentals Association of Ghana 5. Ghana Association of Travel and Tour Agents, 6. Ghana Traditional Caterers Association 7. Tour Guides Association of Ghana 8. Tour Operators Union of Ghana 9. National Drinking Bar Operators Association 10. Ghana Tourism Society 11. Hotel, Catering International Management Association 12. Fore Bureaux Association of Ghana 13. Africa Travel Association 14. Skal Club International 15. Tourism Writers Association of Ghana 16. Board of Airlines

Membership Status Full Member Full Member Full Member Full Member

Name of Interviewee Mr Foster Nyarko, President Nana Twinin I President Mr. Frank Appeadjea, President Mr. Foster Nyarko, President Mr Kofi Ghansah, Vice President

Full Member Full Member Full Member Full Member Full Member Affiliate Member Affiliate Member Affiliate Member Affiliate Member Affiliate Member Affiliate Member Affiliate Member

Mr. Godwin Pinto, President Mr. K. Apreku, Executive Member Ms. Bertha Amejavia, Executive Member Mr. Tei Doku, Executive Member Nana Prempeh Anin-Bonsu, President Mr. K. Agbetiafa, GAR President Ms. Josephine Laryea, Executive Member Mr. E.W. Edusei , President Mrs. Julia Acquaah, President Mr Augustus Boateng, Executive Member Mr. Joe Nyarko, President Mr. Johnnie Moreaux, President Mr. Godwin Yirenkyi Mr A. Mangera, Executive Member

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ANNEX 3

SWNV NETHERLANDS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION Terms of Reference For the Conduct of Needs Assessment For The GHANA TOURISM FEDERATION

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