Minister Ali was speaking at the one-day stakeholders’ conference at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, that attracted tour operators, tour guides and proprietors of resorts, lodges and hotels on Thursday, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
He urged stakeholders to comply with the regulations and guidelines set out in the GTA Act No.3 of 2002, to ensure the further growth and success of the tourism industry.
The ministry, he said, has been working with the private sector and other stakeholders to implement new ideas to attract visitors and tourists to Guyana, including the ‘Re-discover Home’ initiative that has seen an increase of 25 percent in the arrival rate for first quarter of this year. In this regard, he said hotels, lodges and guest houses have reported an increase in bookings for the same period.
However, Ali acknowledged that the same period also reflects an increase in complaints from visitors.
“So this is where regularisation and standardisation come in…we would have to let the visitors know the difference between what we would classify as the high end, medium and small resorts and hotels…so when visitors pay their money they would know what to expect,” Ali explained.
The streamlining of the industry, he said, is not meant to curtail business or create uneven competition, but to lead the industry to standards, which would allow the local stakeholders to sell their tourism products under one umbrella.
Tour operators, tour guides and proprietors of resorts, lodges and hotels were given a two-month period to get registered with the GTA as stipulated in the authority’s Act of 2002.
The act provides GTA with the responsibility of licensing tour operators, inspecting hotels, guest houses and lodges.
Meanwhile, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Paul Stephenson who was also present at the conference welcomed the move the ministry is making to enforce the regulations and standards for operation of the industry.
“(When) the regional and international tour agencies see that we are regulated and have rules and measures to safeguard our tourist that comes into Guyana, they will start to promote us,” Stephenson was quoted as saying.
This, he added, is a landmark initiative for Guyana that will see a bright and more prosperous future for the tourism sector.
