Aiming for a reopening of the tourism sector in mid-December, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Carla James said they are currently engaging stakeholders, Interior Lodges, Resorts and Tour Operators.
The tourism industry which suffered a serious blow as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has been closed since March. Despite some segments of the industry, mainly accommodation facilities and restaurants opening, others remain closed and are suffering daily.
With the aim of operating in a safe and comfortable environment, James said they have spoken with the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) and approval has been given for a coordinated three-step approach for the reopening. The approach is to ensure that tourism businesses take the mandatory steps to safely resume operations.
With over ten tour companies and 60 resorts and lodges, “operators must submit their standard operating procedure, which should outline their hygiene and sanitation protocols. This is the first phase which is a desk review. If we identify any deficiencies we communicate with the operator to have it corrected,” James said.
Once that step is completed she explained that an onsite visit will be conducted by tourism officers. Once they are satisfied with the measures in place, the GTA, James noted, will make a recommendation to the NCTF for approval.
The entire review process is expected to take approximately 10 days and will be done on a case- by-case application.
“We have a strong marketing design to support the entire process. We will market the destinations and tour companies and with the aim of driving traffic and encourage bookings at these destinations,” James pointed out. She explained that this is a critical move to revive the sector and in their marketing strategy they will touch on key points such as the measures implemented by operators to curb COVID-19 and training provided to employees to ensure operating procedures are followed.
“We are well-positioned to be one of the safest destinations in the world. We are operating in wide spaces and operations are designed for small group size. We will be taking that to our advantage,” to lure domestic, diaspora and international visitors to local destinations, James stated.
Asked what assistance the GTA has given to eco-lodges and resorts, James said for community-owned operations the GTA has provided commercial-grade cleaning supplies while they waived fees on licensing and training programmes provided to private operators.
Meanwhile, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) Mitra Ramkumar in an invited comment told this newspaper that the tourism sector should not have been closed.
He pointed out that if proper guidelines were put in place operators could have been in business.
Ramkumar stated that Barbados is a perfect example of how guidelines have allowed tourism operations to continue despite COVID-19.
However, he said that he is happy that the GTA is pushing for the reopening of the other businesses in the sector. He stated that these businesses have suffered tremendously as a result of the closure of the sector.
In a statement on Saturday, Ramkumar said “The inconsistency and absence of rational application of the COVID-19 pandemic regulations are perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that a visitor from Georgetown can get on a crowded water taxi, arrive in Bartica and check in to any hotel. The same visitor is, however, not allowed to get on a boat, owned and operated by a tour operator, conforming to all COVID-19 best practices and can be accommodated at any of the riverside tourism destinations surrounding Bartica. Again, by contrast, a visitor joins a crowded minibus, arrives in Lethem and checks into any one of the numerous forms of commercial accommodation without restriction, but is unable to check into any one of the many highly professionally managed tourism lodges. We address this statement to our Government, appealing directly to the Prime Minister, as Chairman of the COVID-19 Task Force, to reconsider the current shutdown of our industry. We stand ready to be inspected and to respond professionally to any SOPs applied to any other Industry, whether essential or otherwise, which is allowed to function. We only ask for fair and equitable treatment. THAG represents 47 companies/77 small & medium-sized enterprises.
“It has been eight months, and counting since the Tourism & Hospitality Industry of Guyana has been closed due to the pandemic, without any revenue-generating opportunities, with facilities closed, staff furloughed or laid off. The industry operators have a greater vested interest in a safe return to business as we fully understand the plight of our staff and their families who have been severely impacted by the pandemic. It is inconceivable how these workers, predominantly women, single mothers supporting their families, have been managing these eight months”.
