NO REASON WHY THE PARTY SHOULD STOP!

Aug 29, 2008 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

I like what I see so far at Carifesta X. I think that Guyana is doing a good job so far as hosting this mega-event and every citizen should feel proud of what is taking place.

There are of course many who, for political reasons, do not wish this festival to succeed. There are others who have boxed themselves into a position from which they could not step out.

There are others who long before the event kicked off had dedicated themselves to railroading the event. They have launched a vicious anti-Carifesta campaign on the Internet but they are not succeeding because the vast majority of Guyanese people are keen to be part of what is taking place.

No one expected things to go perfect. No one expected the perfection or even anything near what took place in Beijing earlier this month.

We must acknowledge the stage we are at and judge ourselves realistically, while striving to do better. So far we have not done too badly.

And the important thing is that Guyanese, despite the foul-ups with the ticket distribution process, have been enjoying themselves.

This is ultimately how the vast majority of those attending Carifesta X will judge this festival. It is for others like columnists to make a more informed analysis of the long-term consequences of this festival and its impact on the understanding and development of West Indian culture. For the vast majority of persons, though, Carifesta is about enjoying oneself and being happy.

Thousands were happy and thrilled by the spectacular Brazilian air show. I have seen better. The impact this one single show had on people as evident by the gasps from the crowd is an indication of how pleased persons were to have had the opportunity to see something that they may not have seen before and perhaps may never see again for the rest of their lives.

I am really impressed that the organizers of Carifesta X could have gone to such lengths to allow Guyanese the privilege to see an aerial show. Hats off to them and thanks to the Brazilians!

I am sure if it had been the Venezuelans performing the daring manoeuvres in the sky we would have had a few sour pusses complaining about the propriety of this happening.

I hope that the government understands the need for Guyanese to be entertained in such a wholesome manner. This need is what generates the huge spectator attendance at events such as GUYEXPO and the Main Big Lime.

What is interesting this time around is that a number of non-governmental organizations have come on board and are actively hosting events as part of the formal Carifesta X.

This is a good sign since I believe that these very bodies, along with private promoters, can be encouraged to do something for the Christmas season when so many visitors come to Guyana.

I have repeatedly said in these columns that if we are to encourage tourism in Guyana we need to among other things ensure that when visitors come to Guyana they have a good time. This means that they must have things to do other than visit family.

There is an extremely large market out there for family-based tourism. There are many persons who wish to come back home and to bring back their children so that these kids can experience what their parents, who were once resident here, experienced.

For example, there are many who want their kids to know about a Guyanese Easter and the homeliness of a Guyanese Christmas.

There are insufficient activities for our visitors when they come here, not to mention the high cost of some of our tourism products.

I believe that now that we have seen what great support there is for national events, we should aim for the peak tourist season to put on a few indoor concerts, a few indoor sporting events, some good theatre and other family-based activities which would add variety to what we normally have in Guyana while ensuring that visitors to the country have a really special holiday to look forward to.

The word is already out in the Caribbean that Guyana is really a much better place than many have been led to expect. There are therefore persons who will be keen to encourage their friends to come to Guyana.

We must not let these persons down. We must convert the Carifesta Secretariat into a permanent unit which would coordinate with the various groups and with promoters to ensure that we entertain as we are now doing. There is no reason why the party should stop.