Dear Editor,
In the last few weeks there has been much attention devoted in the print media to the matter of Jonestown as a tourism attraction. The exchange of views and opinions has been generally informative and largely cordial. No death blows were dealt, no punches thrown ‘with bad intentions’ as Mike Tyson once described his fistic assaults. Dissent was expressed with restraint, even respect.
While it is not for me to predict the longevity of any public debate, I would hope that, as healthy as the Jonestown debate has been, it does not deflect attention from the formidable challenges and tremendous opportunities that attend tourism development in Guyana especially in the current era of oil dominance.
In Guyana tourism traditionally has had mixed fortunes in its coexistence with stronger export industries. I once put the direct question to Dr. Jagan in an interview as to the reason for the limited policy emphasis upon tourism during his time as Head of Government. His answer was clear and unequivocal – sugar, rice and bauxite were strong hence there was little incentive to develop a tourism industry. In this third decade of the 21st century oil exploration has placed Guyana among the major global oil producers and has pushed GDP growth to unprecedented levels. The sudden ascendancy of the oil industry has fueled reflection, even concern, in some quarters as to the status of tourism. As high-quality crude gushes offshore Guyana has been welcoming armies of investors lured by the prospects of developing business along the spectrum of oil-related activity.
Minister of Tourism Oneidge Walrond is sanguine about the sustainability of the local tourism product, seeing Guyana’s tourism attractions as surviving and thriving long after oil has ceased to flow. A different but complementary view draws attention to the stimulus that the oil sector provides for the construction of accommodation and meeting facilities needed by oil industry personnel. In that scenario the oil sector actually supports the development and expansion of tourism, contributing to a ‘high-rise’ tourism phenomenon that is now a conspicuous feature of the Georgetown landscape.
The two tourism perspectives mentioned in the previous paragraph point to two key aspects of our tourism future. Minister Walrond’s position points to the reaffirmation and celebration of a strand of the Guyana tourism identity that has gained prominence and recognition internationally especially within the past six years – our status and eminence as a nature tourism destination. A slew of international tourism prizes and awards that Guyana has gained confirms this feature. This is the weapon in our tourism arsenal that will safeguard and sustain us well beyond the dominion of oil.
The second perspective addresses an anxiety that has festered in official tourism consciousness for over fifty years – an anti-coastal bias which sought to locate and nurture tourism almost exclusively in the Guyana hinterland. The vision of Prime Minister Burnham’s (himself nervous about Guyana becoming a ‘nation of waiters and sycophants’) was of arriving tourists being quickly whisked away from the city to enjoy the beauties of the interior. Today, largely as a result of the oil sector, the coast is being embraced (too tightly for some) and re-fashioned to accommodate, feed and entertain the growing influx of visitors.
We face both challenges and opportunities. A product that meets the highest international standards has to be developed and maintained. In the intensely competitive world of international tourism marketing the Guyana product must not only expand its space but also enhance the quality of its messaging. Further, a huge workforce, from cleaners and room attendants to managers and developers, needs to be trained and deployed to service the growing tourism sector. Internationally we have the opportunity to define and showcase our hybrid identity – an oil giant that is a champion of nature and its sustainable stewardship.
As we approach our 60th year of Independence in 2026, the tourism clock is ticking, inspiring action and initiatives that are bold and visionary yet deeply rooted in the realities and demands of the international marketplace. A surge in tourism means more planning. More tourism means fresh tourism ideas and innovation, new questions, responses and solutions. For example, would our tourism thrust benefit from an adjustment in its administrative structure, that combines Tourism with a different Ministry? Or should there be a stand-alone Ministry of Tourism? Should our accelerating tourism thrust invite us to revisit the idea of creating a Tourist Police? How can Guyana best leverage, from a tourism standpoint, its growing stature as a player of influence in the international community?
This is by no means an exhaustive list of key questions; it does not pretend to be. In my view, however, they are perfectly legitimate tourism-related questions and considerations in the era of King Oil. How we respond may well determine our tourism destiny.
Yours faithfully,
Donald Sinclair