– stakeholders hail move, but warn of hurdles
Stakeholders have lauded the move by government to develop the cruise tourism industry here, with an initial US$80,000 contract for a feasibility study on the sector.
Acting Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali said cruise tourism will aid in the diversification of Guyana’s tourism industry, but the establishment of an institutional framework is pivotal to a viable and competitive industry. He added that the feasibility study will determine the legislative arrangements required.
The underlying benefits to be derived from cruise tourism must not go unnoticed, he said, explaining that it brings an influx of tourists.
“Cruise tourism also brings with it, a large level of spending in local market, because cruise liners do not spend a long time, so they have a very intense period through which tourists interact with the local economy.”
Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) President Kit Nascimento said the feasibility study was a welcome initiative, noting that the entity stands ready to represent the private sector during the consultative process. “…we look forward to playing a positive and active role.”
Enormous benefits
Like Minister Ali, Nascimento strongly believes that cruise tourism has enormous benefits for a country with a small economy like Guyana. He said, however, that Guyana was not yet ready for cruise tourism. He pointed to the state of the three main rivers in Guyana, singling out the Demerara River.
It is no secret that the Demerara and Essequibo rivers require serious dredging, an issue that has been on the table since the 1990s.
In the 1980s, the Demerara River was dredged to a respectable 22.5 feet to facilitate ships hauling bauxite. But with poor maintenance, the 12-mile channel has shrunk to a mere 13 feet, hindering the shipping industry.
Earlier this month, the Donald Ramotar administration said major emphasis would be placed on dredging the Demerara River.
Customs and immigration
Customs and immigration was another area of concern of the THAG president. While Nascimento has no doubts about the Immigration Department’s ability to manage the influx of travellers the industry would bring, he said critical systems must be put in place. “…you have a large number of people being cleared through customs and immigration in a great hurry, in a very small space of time,” he opined.
Alluding to the garbage situation, which must be resolved before Guyana is ready to host cruise ships, Nascimento said: “You don’t want tourists flowing into Georgetown as it looks today, and it’s not merely cleaning up the garbage, it goes a great deal further than that.”
“It’s keeping the streets clean, removing all of the houses in and around Georgetown, which are collapsing, we can do a great deal, to preserve some of the older architecture sites in Georgetown that would be very attractive to cruise ship tourists,” he explained.
Both the government and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council have been bashed for the deplorable state of the capital city. Citizens were also urged to be responsible in their actions and not litter.
Market analysis
“I would imagine that the consultant would be devoting some time to a sort of a market analysis, to assess the demand here and the capacity to deliver the product, should the ships come in,” Nascimento said.
Meanwhile, tourists are showing increasing interest in yachting in the Essequibo River, since the yachting rally last month.
Over the past six weeks, more than 30 yachts have visited Guyana.
A foreign investor has already indicated his interest in establishing a marina and boatyard, a vital component of the yachting industry.
The cruise ship tourism is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry.
However, Guyana has hosted few cruise ships. Last month, the National Geographic cruise ship visited Guyana for the first time, carrying 110 international passengers, and a crew also numbering 110. The luxurious French vessel ‘Le Levant’, ‘Saga Pearl 2’, and the ‘Vistamar’ were among ships to dock at Guyana’s shores.
