Reward Your Hardworking Staff– Hoteliers Told

Mole motel

Owners and operators of hotels and other hospitality facilities in the country’s tourism sector have been urged to reward their hardworking staff in order for them to give-off their best in whatever they do.

Speaking at a staff awards night organized by management of Mole Motel Company Limited, Manager of the Mole Game Reserve in the Northern Region of Ghana Dubiure Umaru Farouk, advised hoteliers, restaurateurs and other actors who served as the ‘engine’ of the tourism industry, to seriously consider their staff as the most valuable asset they have and appreciate their efforts.

Whiles commending management of the motel for recognizing the contributions of their hard working and dedicated staff, Mr. Dubiure encouraged the management to do more for them as they continued to grow in the business. “For the sixteen years of existence of the motel in the park, it really contributed immensely to the daily influx of tourists into the place and this was due to the hard work, dedication and excellent services rendered by the staff of the motel”, he noted.

According to him, the motel as small as it appears to be, also plays a very significant role in the sustenance and maintenance of the game reserve, saying it offers accommodation and kitchen services to almost all the 15,000 visitors to the park every year and their nonexistence, perhaps could have discouraged a lot of people from visiting the place. The park, he added, is currently the most prestigious game reserve the nation has and is amongst the best tourism destinations in the country.

Ghana’s tourism sector undoubtedly has contributed significantly to the growth of its economy particularly in recent years as the sector still continues to demonstrate its potential as a key driver of growth and development.

In fact, it is not overemphasising to say that tourism plays a very vital role in poverty alleviation through income generation, employment and infrastructural development for the local communities where tourist attractions are located as well as generates revenue for the government.

The sector is currently Ghana’s fourth largest foreign exchange earner, after gold, cocoa and oil. International tourist arrivals and receipts according to records have grown consistently over the last decade, with tourist arrivals tripling and corresponding tourist receipts increasing tenfold over the same period.

Fortunately, when talking about the tourism industry in Ghana, one name that comes to mind is the Mole National Park, the largest game reserve in West Africa and one of the most popular eco tourism destinations in the sub region.

The only hospitality haven located in the aforementioned park is the Mole motel which has become synonymous with the name of the place. Regarded as one of the best places to stay for at least a night in order to get the full experience of the park, it is situated on top of an escarpment overlooking the flat savannah plains where many game frequent. Indeed, it is an ideal base for a walking safari which could be arranged through the motel.

The motel started operating on March 24, 1997 to give decent accommodation and catering services to the several thousands of tourists who visited the park on daily basis.

The Manager of motel Sylvester Kubi said management over the past 15 years without the injection of new capital, drastically made improvement in the facility and offered quality services to tourists/clients who came and slept there.

Mr. Kubi stated that the management and staff of the motel need to be applauded for working in such a remote area for over a decade now, hence the organisation of the get together to reward those who stood with them through thick and thin over the years.

The Board Chairman of the motel Samuel Addo Nartey, also said not long ago the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation entered into a partnership agreement with the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission with the simple objective of promoting tourism in the Mole Game Reserve as well as maximizing returns for its stakeholders.

He indicated that considering the high annual tourist arrivals, it was the dream of the GNPC to raise the motel to the status of a hotel very soon so that it could meet the growing demand of the numerous tourists who visited the place on daily basis.

Meanwhile, a total of nine staff were rewarded for their selfless contribution and hard work in the last sixteen years. For those who had worked at the motel for ten years each received a 24 inch LCD Plasma Television set, a certificate of appreciation and 50 percent of their monthly salary whiles those who served more than ten years were given a table top refrigerator, a certificate of appreciation and also 50 percent of their monthly salary.