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Ecotourism could boost development

Aug 27, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Many in Guyana have bought into the government mantra that ecotourism is good for the country and will attract a lot of tourists. Others have claimed that it can assume the mantle of a major foreign currency earner for the country. Ecotourism and tourism in general have the potential to attract tourists, but a tourist Czar is needed to promote and sell them.
Warnings from the Canadian and other governments to their citizens to take caution while travelling to Guyana because of the high crime rate will not imperil the tourist industry. Guyana has a healthy market for ecotourism in particular, but if properly developed and advertised, it could become much more than that – highly attractive to tourists and part of the mainstay of the economy. It could see hundreds of people meaningfully occupied, both directly and indirectly, and be a source of sustainable employment.
Efforts by the previous administration to make tourism one of its highest priorities did not succeed, mainly because not enough resources were made available to develop the infrastructure required. Action, not words, is needed to boost tourism in Guyana, because if all the government is offering is sun and a trek into the interior to watch our birds and wild animals, then the country will be left behind. We must not forget the islands in the Caribbean have stunning beaches.
The building of a viable tourism industry in Guyana requires strong partnerships with the private sector and the resolute support of the public. Ecotourism is a multibillion-dollar industry and one that Guyana should really be taking advantage of. With large forests, rivers, majestic waterfalls, exotic birds and breathtaking animal life, ecotourism is an industry in which this country could easily carve a significant niche.
Ecotourism would have the added spin-off of ensuring that the country’s flora and fauna are well protected while adding jobs to a number of areas that have very high unemployment and thus make it a stabilizing force to the economy. In addition, Guyana’s tropical rainforests make up more than 80 percent of the country’s terrain with numberless hiking trails. It is the home to some 6,500 plant species, 850 types of exotic birds, 220 different breeds of mammals and an astounding wild life.
While the economy is currently facing serious challenges of volatile prices for its products—sugar, rice and gold—investment in ecotourism would make sense. It would in some way buttress the sliding prices of the country’s products.
These are exciting times for the tourist industry, but the government must create the infrastructure to enhance it. It would be an important start in diversifying the economy. It will create a rallying point to motivate and stimulate action on the part of our citizens to make Guyana an eye-catching destination for tourists.
Guyana should not restrict itself to one type of tourism. It must embrace all aspects. Along with ecotourism, the administration should explore the possibility of entertainment tourism. Blessed with an abundance of unique talent in so many areas of entertainment, the country can use its budding artistes to regale tourists, while also providing the entertainers with stable jobs and the crucial experience of performing for sizeable audiences.
Cultural tourism is also an area that could be used to aid some of the least-developed areas in the country. There are heritage sites in many communities that could be magnets to tourists. There are also villages which are home to practitioners of ancient traditions that are ideal for the interests of those culturally inclined. Some tourists have already sought them out, but with little or no media coverage, no one is ever made aware of the relative successes.
Simply put, ecotourism coupled with the aforementioned tourist sectors could boost development and be a blessing to our economy.

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