Ghana needs a dedicated hospitality school to improve standards – Ridge Royal Hotel MD

Sheila Adjetey-Anum, Managing Director of Ridge Royal Hotel in Cape Coast, has urged the establishment of a dedicated hospitality school in Ghana to improve the country's hospitality standards. Speaking at the iNTTA Expo, she emphasized that existing university programs focus too heavily on classroom learning, neglecting the hands-on training required to meet international hospitality standards.

Adjetey-Anum stressed that a specialized institution would complement university programs by providing practical industry experience. She stated that while universities like the University of Cape Coast offer tourism programs, they lack the necessary hands-on, practical training.

The hotel owner explained that a dedicated hospitality school would offer students firsthand experience in hospitality operations and better prepare them for the demands of the job market. She stressed that a hotel school would not replace universities but would provide the crucial difference between theory and practice.

Adjetey-Anum argued that such an institution would help workers understand professional service standards, enabling Ghana's hospitality industry to compete more effectively internationally. She questioned how Ghana can meet international expectations when there are no institutions to support training and development.

The call for a dedicated hospitality school comes as industry stakeholders gather for the iNTTA Expo in Cape Coast. The expo, which runs under the theme "From Vision to Transactions," focuses on investment opportunities across tourism, hospitality, energy, digital infrastructure, agribusiness, and health tourism.