A Marriott in Guyana will improve Guyana’s Global Image

Oct 07, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The top 10 Largest Hotel Groups in the World, are, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Wyndham Hotel Group, Marriott International, Hilton Hotels, Accor Group, Choice Hotels, Best Western, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Carlson and Global Hyatt (tourism-review.com).
Marriot is a Global Quality Brand Hotel at Number 3 in the World, and such a property in Guyana will immediately give confidence to the soon to arrive Global executive. For Investments in The Republic of Guyana, Global Corporations’ Teams, will visit Guyana, for their due diligences work, discussions and investigations, and one of the first item for their action is their Hotel Accommodation Reservation, which usually will set the tone for the arriving guest to Guyana.
On 19 July 2010, Guyana and Kuwait signed five bilateral agreements, setting the stage for firmer ties, during a short visit by Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Mohamed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Prime Minister and a delegation of 66 arrived here as part of a tour of Latin America and the Caribbean, that also took in Cuba, and were accorded an official red carpet welcome on the tarmac of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. During the visit of the Emir of Kuwait to Guyana, due to lack of adequate hotel accommodations, their visit lasted 2 hours in place of a possible 2 days.
That accommodations deficiency should be corrected, IF, Guyana is to attract high quality investments, high quality executives will need to visit Guyana, for their discussions, examinations and agreements.
The current disagreements between Government, Opposition Parties, Hoteliers, Investors and Interested Persons, should be facilitated in a forum with free, fair and frank deliberations, for the way forward for the Marriott’s opening in Guyana.
Among the items for discussions at an Open Forum, can be the following seven:
1. Current and Higher Occupancy Rates at Hotels?
2. What is needed for hotels expansion ?
3. Infrastructures Needed for High Level Accommodations & Facilities in GY ?
4. Ogle International Airport with increased CARICOM, South & Central American Visitors ?
5. Kuwait’s Emir’s trip to GY comments on “lack of adequate accommodations.”
6. Can GY attract more HIGH, MEDIUM & LOW Level Visitors?
7. How will Marriott in GY change the dynamics in GY’s Hotels Accommodations, Services and Competitiveness?
Official Visiting Delegations to Guyana, are assigned Hotels’ Rooms by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by the attendees’ positions’ rankings’ as is done at the United Nations, and Globally, and agreement can be secured that ALL the HOTELS in Greater Georgetown to continue to receive Government’s bookings.
The 7 Top hotels in Greater Georgetown, Guyana are Pegasus Hotel Guyana, Princess Hotel & Casino, Cara Lodge, Roraima Duke Lodge, Herdmanston Lodge, Grand Coastal Inn, and New Tropicana Hotel, and they all create employment and pay many taxes, and are all providers of their best facilities, accommodations and services, BUT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, none are a GLOBAL BRAND.
Trinidad & Tobago, supported, encouraged, and helped with financing for their very attractive HILTON and HYATT Hotels.
Guyanese, Government and Opposition Parties, can all agree that Guyana’s economic transformation is achievable with key infrastructures’ investments in roads, power, hotels, human development, and an attractive investment climate, et al., to enable Guyana’s riches in WATER, LAND and MINERALS to be employed in ADDED VALUE Operations, for Guyanese jobs creation, quality of life, and riches in CARICOM, UNASUR, MERCOSUR and overall Global Prosperity, Food Security and well being.
The VISION of Guyana’s Founding Fathers for “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”, with its six races working collectively, cooperatively and caringly to achieve economic, social and financial successes are all attainable, with 7 KEY Operational METRICS, VISION to establish, TEAM/Relationships to foster, PLAN in full detail, RESOURCES to be mobilized, EXECUTION will be very critical, EVALUATION/ Continuous Improvement to stay current, and LEADERSHIP to start with self.
Guyana’s list of 33 Minerals are , Oil, Gold , Diamonds, Bauxite , Manganese, Laterite, Glass sand, Ceramic clay, Columbite ,Tantalite, Mica, Chromium , Tungsten , Haematite , Kyanite, Magnetite , Copper, Nickel , Molybdenite, Merumite , Potant , Cassiterite, Zinc ,Magnesite , Topaz, Agate, Jasper, Amethyst , Feldspar ,Niobium , Peat, Phosphates, and Rare earth.
In addition, Guyana is with an ABUNDANCE of WATER, and on March 22, 2013, WORLD WATER DAY, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Washington, DC, said “Global growth and climate change are placing ever greater stress on our planet’s most precious shared resource: Water, Over the next 10 years many countries will experience water problems – shortages, poor water quality, or floods.”
Guyana is with the potential to be the Singapore of the Americas, with VISION, COMPROMISE and LEADERSHIP.
The 13 Differences BETWEEN Management and Leadership are as follows : (see table).
Guyanese Voters, Business Groups, and Social Organizations, should ALL LOBBY their Political Parties to secure the Way Forward Discussions, Deliberations and Decisions for the Marriott to be in operation in Guyana, for the economic development of Guyana, businesses and people.
Dr. Shamir Andrew
Ally, MBA.
Pennsylvania, USA.

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