Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture reopens HOTCATT

The Hotel, Tourism and Catering Training Institute (HOTCATT) has been reopened by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture since its shutdown in 2009.

In April 2009, GIMPA was given the mandate to handle the affairs of the hospitality institute after then Minister of Tourism, Juliana Azumah-Mensah, per recommendation from an evaluation consultant came to the conclusion that the institute had not fully responded to the quality needs of the tourism industry.

Speaking at the reopening ceremony, the Tourism Minister, Catherine Abelema Afeku bemoaned the poor state in which HOTCATT was when the Akufo-Addo administration came into power. She revealed that the derelict condition of the institute compelled her to propose a refurbishment project, in order to bring it back to its glorious state.

“Over the years, this institution has had its fair share of misery, disappointment, and no budgetary allocation, lack of support and lack of direction. The focus on skills development in the hospitality industry took a back burner for a while. Major directors with passion and love for the industry got very frustrated, When H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the NPP took over, myself and my able Deputy in the vetting process brought to life a manifesto pledge to have a state-of-the-art hospitality training institute in Ghana. Today, you are witnessing a tip of the iceberg of that manifesto pledge,” she said.





Madam Afeku added that renovating HOTCATT was a Herculean task, highlighting some challenges the Ministry encountered.

She also divulged that the Ministry intends to establish similar training centres nationwide, with plans underway to set up centres in the Eastern, Western and Volta regions.

Chief Executive Officer of HOTCATT, Jenny Adade praised the Tourism Minister for her dedication and unwavering support to the reconstruction of the institute.

The renovated hospitality training institute features a career development facility, industry recruitment office and training rooms for practice.

The reopening of the Hotel, Tourism and Catering Training Institute, which took place at the newly renovated HOTCATT building, was attended by dignitaries such as the Minister of Information, Mustapha Hamid, Deputy Education Minister, Barabara Ayisi Acher as well as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ziblim Barri Iddi.