Dear Editor,
Why is the government pushing so hard for the Marriott Hotel project? Guyana is a small country with hardly many foreign visitors and is not deemed to be a tourist attraction. Many hotels were built for the Cricket World Cup and most of these hotels are facing bankruptcy and closure due to lack of return on investments and empty rooms. This small country is already saturated with high-class hotels, but they cannot fill their rooms; how can the Marriott Hotel be different?
The government seems to have an interest in the Marriott Hotel project and this proposed project needs to be investigated by the media and patriotic Guyanese. The controversial Buddy’s hotel, now the Princess Hotel, was sold to foreigners and now the government is involved in a secret deal with foreigners for the establishment of another hotel.
According to press reports a Grenadian construction company may build the hotel, but who will be the owners and financiers?
Why is this government interested in the hotel business – from Buddy’s hotel to the Marriott now? If the government is concerned with expanding tourism, why not allocate land in Berbice, Essequibo or Lethem to build the Marriott, so that these areas can develop. Besides, these areas are the real tourist attractions and not Georgetown. Why are the opposition parties and civil society silent on this issue?
Yours faithfully,
Balwant Persaud