The Ghana Tourism Authority has intensified efforts to enforce accommodation standards in student communities around Legon and the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), as part of measures to protect students and improve safety standards.
The enforcement exercise, carried out on May 5, 2026, targeted unlicensed hostels and student accommodation facilities operating within the Legon-UPSA enclave without the required registration, inspection, and licensing approvals.
According to the Authority, the operation forms part of its mandate under the Tourism Act, 2011 (Act 817) and the Accommodation Act, which require all accommodation providers in Ghana to obtain proper authorization before operating.
Officials explained that the exercise was conducted with a compliance-focused approach aimed at helping operators regularize their businesses rather than immediately shutting them down.
Operators of the affected facilities were engaged by GTA officials and directed to report to the Authority’s head office to complete the necessary registration and licensing procedures.
The GTA noted that the intervention is intended to protect students from unsafe and substandard accommodation conditions while ensuring that hostel operators comply with national safety and quality requirements.
“This is about protecting students and raising standards across the sector,” an official of the Authority stated.
“We are balancing enforcement with education to bring operators into compliance, not just penalize them.”
The Authority further reiterated that all student accommodation providers must undergo inspection and obtain the appropriate licenses before operating legally in the country.
The GTA also disclosed that similar compliance exercises are expected to be extended to other high-density student communities across Ghana in the coming months.
By 1960news.com
