Government has set modest goals for the tourism sector, with Business Minister Dominic Gaskin noting that while Government does not envisage Guyana being a mass tourism destination, capacity to enhance its eco-tourism appeal will certainly be built.
Gaskin made this observation during a Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) awards ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday. He noted that Guyana’s tourism offering particularly appeals to nature lovers, and has a heavy focus in the hinterland.
“We certainly do not want, or we do not envisage, Guyana as a mass tourism destination. We believe that our particular product is very attractive to a market segment that is not interested in mass tourism. They’re interested in a more authentic experience: nature-based, people- based tourism,” he explained.
“That is what we have, and that is what I think we should be selling. I don’t think we’re interested in creating Disneyland in Guyana. I think we know where to find Mickey Mouse and (Donald) Duck if we have to. That’s not the model we will pursue. We also understand that we have a special product, and our special product needs special attention,” Gaskin explained.
Gaskin maintained that capacity to improve the tourism sector is being built within the sector. According to the minister who has responsibility for the tourism sector and the GTA, marketing the country as a tourism destination will be pursued along those guidelines.
“Without the necessary expertise; without capacity; without knowing where we’re going, we would remain drifting in the wind, with no direction. We have to pursue the model that will work best for Guyana,” he declared.
“And in Guyana’s hinterland area, that’s where our rich, real, attractive, ecotourism product lies. That’s what we want to sell. That’s where there are opportunities outside of mining. Tourism should be non-destructive,” he declared.
In January, Guyana hired US Expert Brian Mullis as the new Director of Tourism. Indranauth Haralsingh had previously been performing the duties of director. It was explained that Mullis, a US citizen of California, was chosen from seven applicants.
In March of this year, former Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali, in a blunt assessment of the coalition’s performance in the sector, had expressed disappointment about how tourism is being managed.
According to Ali, the tourism sector holds much potential for Guyana, but there is need for a Tourism Policy to be guided by a strategic approach that is not limited to developing and marketing Guyana as a product, but caters to partnering with the private sector.
Ali had pointed to a number of specific signature activities that were having a positive impact on the industry but have not been continued.
“Take, for example, the Rockstone Fish Festival, the emphasis on birding, the Guyana Festival, Phagwah, Diwali, the Wedding Expo, the Safari….these (are) all products that took time to nurture, and we have supported these products. We need to continue to embrace these products,” he had explained.
Ali had opined that the sector has become dormant because the Ministry of Business, which has oversight of the tourism sector, lacks the energy and vision necessary to take the industry forward.
Guyana had made significant strides towards the promotion of Sustainable Tourism, and had been recognised for its efforts. Guyana’s North Rupununi, Region 9, had justified the resources poured into its development by copping the 2012 Award for Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism.
The award from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and Travelmole (CTO/Travelmole) was awarded to Guyana’s Rupununi Learners Inc for improving the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants.
In 2011, this award was shared by the Surama Eco-Lodge, also located in the North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). This tourist destination was recognised by the CTO for harnessing the economic power of the visitor industry in a responsible and sustainable way. The 2011 award was shared with Harrison’s Cave in Barbados.
