Paltry government investment in the promotion of Guyana abroad compared to the “millions” being invested in the same pursuit by other Caribbean countries has been a key factor in the retardation of the local tourism industry, according to a presentation made by stakeholders in the industry at this week’s National Economic Forum.
Local tour operators, hoteliers and service organizations in the country’s tourism industry have used this week’s two-day National Economic Forum to send yet another message to the government that it needs to do more to promote tourism as an important sector in the country’s economy.
Chief Executive Officer of Roraima Airways, Captain Gerry Gouveia, Co-chairman of the committee created by the forum to address tourism issues told the gathering that responsibility for the external marketing of “the country as a whole” lay with government and that an effective marketing programme would build the foundation that would enable local tour operators to promote their goods and services.
Delivering a presentation that reflected the collective view of tourism entities that included the Guyana Tourism Authority, Gouveia expressed the view that the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) which provides services to individuals and groups attending overseas trade fairs and exhibitions, appeared to be both less pro-active and less effective since the departure from the position of Chief Executive Officer and the country’s current serving Ambassador to Venezuela Geoffrey DaSilva.
At the core of the tourism presentation was the contention that “limited reach” was restricting tourism growth and that government needed to embrace a “national marketing strategy” to help change the fortunes of the sector. Additionally, the tourism presentation addressed what it said was the need to recruit the country’s diplomatic missions in the promotion of the country’s tourism product, undertake collaborative tourism initiatives with neighbouring Suriname and be more selective in international trade show attendances.
The tourism working group at the Forum also said that it is backing investment in “modern world class hotels” as well as in the proposed multi-million dollar upgrading of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
In its presentation, the tourism working group is also lobbying for enhanced cruise ship access, pointing to the fact that underdeveloped port facilities including the current condition of the Georgetown Harbour was restricting arrivals by sea to small vessels.
Urban environmental decay has long been felt to be a disincentive to visitor arrivals and the working group said in its presentation that the recent passage of long-delayed local government legislation promises to create conditions that would render City Hall more accountable for the state of the city. Additionally, the group is calling on business support organizations to pursue an aggressive “name and shame campaign” targeting urban businesses that contribute to the current garbage disposal crisis.
