The tourism industry offers many opportunities for many businesses and individuals in Ghana. All citizens and other people should adhere to some fundamental requirements before venturing into any tourism business. The requirements include;
Tourism enterprise license
The tourism Act 2011 launched the Ghana Tourism Authority and Tourism Development Fund to develop and control tourism in Ghana. Although the idea of making money from tourism businesses is interesting, meeting Ghana Tourism Authority’s regulatory standards is very difficult. Most people are taking advantage of the expansion of the tourism industry to prepare food funfairs and rent out rooms. Tourism enterprises should first get a license from the Ghana Tourism Authority under the tourism act to conduct any business.
To avoid attracting any fines or negative publicity, it is advisable first to fulfil all the regulatory requirements. You can ask for directions from the Ghana Tourism Authority in case of any unplanned event where it is not easy to get a license in time.
Acquire a Ghana card
The government of Ghana has appraised that before the end of 2022, the Ghana Card will be known across the globe as an electronic passport that can be read and verified in all International Civil Aviation Organization compliant borders. Ghana officially joined the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2021.
International tourists should take this chance to apply for their Ghana Cards because, in the near future, they will be able to tour Ghana without any Visa. The Ghanaian government has alleged that this card will be the only acceptable means of being identified at banks and other financial institutions as of July this year.
Use the accepted Currency.
Some tourists are tempted to pay using dollars and other foreign currency so as to uphold their purchasing power. Ghanaian law does not permit the use of different currencies when making payments for commodities within Ghana without legal permission from the Bank of Ghana.
Failure to comply with this policy can easily land you into trouble and huge fines. Additionally, only the businesses with authorization from the Bank of Ghana are allowed to accept payments with other currencies. You can arrange with the Bank of Ghana if you want to receive any payment mode from your customers.
Homeowner pays for tax.
Any income acquired from the rental of holiday residences is subject to rent tax. Eight per cent of the total income received from rent in residential premises goes to the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The Ghana Revenue Authority plans to introduce Rent Tax Digital Application to motivate homeowners to pay their rent tax in time. The digital application will have all names of the homeowner and their location, and this will help the Ghana Revenue Authority in finding out if such properties are for rent. The Tourism authority hopes that this application will lower the rent tax arrears.
How Ghanaian nightclubs operate
The Tourists Site Regulation passed in 2019 regulates the operation of tourism sites, nightclubs, waterfalls, beaches and national parks. Ghana Tourism Authority has been training attendants of these sites to improve preservation and operating efficiency. The purpose of improving efficiency is to ensure that tourists will receive better services and be motivated to visit that premises repeatedly.
Pay for Taxes
All tourism businesses are prone to various taxes, such as the tourism levy. The tourism levy is a significant source of income for the Tourism Development Fund, and it is punishable if you don’t pay. All the firms and individuals operating in the tourism industry who do not pay this tax face strict sanctions from the government. The authority closes all the businesses operating with uncleared arrears.
All tourism entities should make sure that they are up to date when it comes to tourism levy payments and evaluate their probable legal responsibility before the Ghana Tourism Authority starts looking for them.
