The Ghana Hotels Association has reported that the hospitality industry in the Volta and Eastern Regions has been severely impacted due to the ongoing spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) initiated the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong hydro dams on September 15, 2023.
This spillage has necessitated the evacuation of numerous communities in the north, south, and Central Tongu districts of the Volta Region, leaving residents with no choice but to salvage what remains of their belongings.
While the current inflow into the reservoir stands at 400,000 cubic feet of water per second, the VRA has indicated that they are releasing approximately 183,000 cubic feet of water, with no definite end date for the spilling exercise.
In the meantime, thousands of individuals residing along the Lower Volta Basin have been forced to relocate, resulting in property losses estimated at millions of cedis.
Addressing the media, Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr., President of the association, mentioned that hotels and recreational facilities situated along the lake have experienced significant damage.
“The impact has been mainly on the operational areas, the outdoor sitting areas have generally been affected. It has also affected patronage of these hotels for obvious reasons. So it’s obvious these hotels at the river banks will have a lot of challenges from the spillage”, he stressed.
He informed the media that the association intends to instruct its members on leveraging insurance programs during its forthcoming National Executive Council Meeting scheduled for October 18, 2023.
“We as an industry must start looking at insuring our premises against some these disasters that will befall us. We will be attending our National Executive Council Meeting this Wednesday to come up with ways to support our members who unfortunately found themselves in this situation”.
Meanwhile the association has asked its members affected by the spillage to avail themselves to the authorities for the necessary assistance and support in order to bounce back.