Unpleasant Truth
In the global scheme of things, Guyana is not the first choice of most as a place of relaxation or pleasure, even though some aspects of social life, including the pockets of ebullient night life, would make some Guyanese argue differently. In reality though, Guyana is regarded as one of those countries not quite ready to bring high levels of satisfaction to its visitors. In an assessment of 130 countries, Guyana is ranked 109 by the 2008 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. With the inclusion of six more countries in the current assessment, that placement points to a likely slippage in performance by the tourism sector from 2006 when Guyana was ranked 100 out of the 124 countries that were assessed. So even as the administration reported growth in the economy and points to the hosting of World Cup Cricket and other events as proof of success, the Guyana economy is not getting much help from the travel and tourism sector. It is an unpleasant truth that must be confronted if the tourism industry is to advance.
The tourism products offered by Guyana are different from the traditional products of sand, sea and surfing that are common in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Guyana’s history, culture and geography influence the definition of the tourism products, even though greater emphasis is being placed on its geography. The preferred products are constructed upon a platform of balance between preservation and consumption of nature, and aim more at providing fun through adventure and education. A walk through the Iwokrama Canopy, birding and fishing are some of the activities that tourists can enjoy in Guyana. Yet, within the Latin America and Caribbean region, where nature and adventure intersect, Guyana is lost in the tourism wilderness and exceeds none of its principal competitors in this aspect of the tourism trade.
At the Bottom
Despite being a country rich with nature’s bounty and blessings, Guyana is one step above Paraguay in competitiveness and sits below the other 20 countries of the region that are part of the report. The top tiered countries in the region were listed as Barbados, Costa Rica, Brazil, Panama, Chile, Jamaica and Argentina. They occupy the first seven spots on the regional list culled from the 2008 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. Uruguay, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala help to round out the top 10 list of more competitive destination spots in the region.
With the exception of Guatemala, all these countries rank in the top half of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report with Barbados, Costa Rica, Brazil and Panama ranking among the top 50. Guyana is clearly at the bottom. Guyana’s rank of 21st in the region is helped by the exclusion from the report of several of the smaller islands of the West Indies such as St. Lucia, Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda that are conspicuous Caribbean vacation spots known to be popular with tourists. However we try to twist and turn the numbers and the narrative, Guyana remains in the wilderness of this lucrative global trade.
Slow Progress
It is likely that most Guyanese would not quibble about Guyana’s ranking in either the global or regional comparisons at this stage of the tourism game in the country. They also cannot be happy with the slow progress after nearly 17 years of trying. Admittedly, Guyana was never known as a popular tourist destination and bringing attention to its tourism appeal is no easy task. That does not mean Guyana cannot be a place of leisure and excitement that affords tourists the luxury of nature’s magnificence and the warmth and hospitality of its people. Guyana has a rich eco-system that helps to control life on the planet and that offers people the chance to indulge in nature’s purity. The slippage in rank changes none of that. Yet, tourism providers in Guyana remain concerned about what appears to be tepid support from the administration to ideas and initiatives that would allow them to turn adversity into opportunity and to convert Guyana’s tourism strengths into a competitive advantage.
Burdened
The opportunities offered by Guyana’s historical and cultural landmarks, its natural beauty and healthy organic foods remain trapped in bureaucratic inertia and insensitive fiscal policies. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report indicates that the tourism industry in Guyana remains burdened by unnecessary regulations, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient air transportation, inadequate human resources and a devastating security and safety record. These are just some of the challenges confronting the industry. Tourism providers are finding it difficult to operate and compete under these conditions. The adverse conditions discourage foreign investors and make it hard for local tourist providers to attract foreign partners into the industry. The negatives also add up to a low perception about Guyana and serve to confirm the image that Guyana is not a favourable tourist destination.
With so much going against them, the tourism providers have been looking to the administration for help. Unfortunately, the help has not always been as robust as needed. For example, sensible tax incentive proposals that could help sustain growth in the industry and expand economic benefits across the country are inexplicably being brushed aside by the administration.
Change of Image
Tourism providers, such as Evergreen Adventures and Hurakabra River Resort, who are aware of the low perception held by others about Guyana, understand the need for the image of the country to change and embrace this challenge with enthusiasm. The industry operators are fortunate to have equal support and understanding from its advocacy group, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana. Together, they know that they must count on the administration to share this understanding and strong desire to make changes that benefit the industry.
Thus, industry actors harbour some hope that important tourism institutions run by the administration would demonstrate that they believe tourism is important to the Guyana economy. That realization could bring those institutions to support a suitable package of incentives for the industry that gives providers a chance to compete successfully at the global level. That realization also harbours the possibility of tackling the myriad of factors that helps to confuse the tourism product, cause mismanagement, unnecessarily increase inefficiencies and discourage tourists from coming to Guyana.
They believe that positive change is possible if all the stakeholders could become aware of what their lethargy and insensitivity are doing to the industry. This understanding is necessary if Guyana is to emerge from the tourism wilderness in which it currently finds itself.