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More advancements for tourism sector this year

Mar 27, 2014 News

Committed to accelerating the growth of Guyana’s buoyant tourism, industry and commerce sector, the government will be rolling out a number of programmes with specific focus on institutional capacity strengthening, marketing and product development.
Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, in his 2014 Budget presentation, said that a number of related developments will see the foundation laid for accelerated growth in this vibrant sector.
Several policies will be developed in an effort to further press forward the sector by addressing areas such as cross border travel through multi-destination packaging, group travel and temporary importation of vehicles for recreational purposes such as safaris and the development of event standards.
Over the years, Guyana has been participating at European tradeshows which attract the highest numbers of nature and adventure travellers, and for the first time this year, Guyana will be participating at trade shows in Latin America.
The Hinterland Tourism Development Plan is scheduled to commence phased implementation in September. The five-year plan will focus on tourism opportunities, economic, social and environmental benefits, culture and heritage preservation, and investment opportunities and training.
Meanwhile, focus continues to be placed on community based tourism by rigorously continuing the processes of inspecting and registering interior lodges, resorts, and tour guides.
“Tourism remains one the sectors in which Guyana has a strong comparative advantage given our vast and diverse endowment of nature, our geographical location, and the advantage of a large diasporic market… with all these developments on the horizon, the tourism industry is poised to be a major driver of growth and job creation in Guyana looking ahead,” Minister Singh posited.
In terms of marketing, destination Guyana has attracted prominent film and television producers in recent years, resulting in the filming of a number of documentaries in 2013 which will be aired this year.
The Government’s ongoing efforts to increase airlift capacity and expand route options, saw two new Latin American airlines coming on board. The Venezuelan flag carrier, CONVIASA, commenced flights between Puerto Ordaz and Timehri in January and the Panamanian flag carrier, COPA, will introduce flights between Panama City and Timehri from July.
This year, Guyana’s premium hotel room stock will be given a significant boost with the opening up for commercial operation of the five-star Marriott Hotel. This is the first major international brand to come to Guyana in over 40 years.
With the range of hotel products and quality of service that this new hotel will offer, will raise the bar in Guyana and serve as a source of attraction for international travellers. Moreover, it will create direct employment for over 300 Guyanese and indirect business opportunities for a wide cross section of suppliers of goods and services.
US$4M Hospitality Institute
Government this year will also be investing US$4M in the establishment of a hospitality institute to ensure that Guyana improves its human resource capabilities within the sector; producing world class personnel to meet the kind of demands that a growing industry beckons.
Minister Singh said that it is imperative to improve on quality in order to market Guyana as a tourism destination, and that the country has to also, “ensure that our young people are better equipped to take advantage of the job opportunities that will abound, the growing demand for skilled labour in the sector will need to be addressed.”
Over the last 10 years, there has been an exponential increase in visitor arrivals in the country. In 2013, Guyana was named one of the three countries in the Caribbean to record a double digit growth with a 13.3 percent increase in arrivals.
According to the Guyana Tourism Authority’s records, last year, there was an average of 2,630 tourists per month.
This year, a 15 percent increase in arrival is projected and to this end, several Familiarisation Trips and other activities are planned to attract more visitors.

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