Guyana to stop CTO dues unless it improves tourism promotion
by Abigail Kippins
GUYANA will not be paying the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) marketing dues until the organisation makes the necessary efforts to improve promotion of the local tourism industry, Tourism Minister, Mr Geoffrey Da Silva has said.
"We have not paid that money to the marketing programme and will not pay it until the CTO comes to Guyana, sits and discusses seriously with us that there will be publications and promotion programmes that promote Guyana more", he declared.
Addressing participants at a three-day workshop on capacity-building in Guyana's tourist industry Wednesday, the minister added, "we are not satisfied...that is how business works. We have to put our position on the table and fight for it".
The training workshop, one in a series initiated by the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), was held under the theme "Tourism Destination Policy Design: How to Manage Tourism Activity in the Country".
About 20 persons from the private and public sectors attended the seminar, which was aimed at raising their awareness of the demands of the tourist industry, both locally and internationally.
It covered tourism trends, lessons learnt and what a competitive Guyana tourism sector means.
Participants also explored the topics of Tourism Policy Development Processes and New Models in Community Tourism which they will apply to the local situation, an official said.
Da Silva said Guyana has benefitted tremendously from the CTO but there are still differences between the two that have to be dealt with.
He said the country pays its membership dues annually and also contributed to the marketing programme.
However, he said, "if Guyana keeps paying this money every year like it has been doing, and when you look at the publications and see there is very little in terms of what they have been selling for us, we cannot just go along with that."
He said someone from the CTO has to visit Guyana soon and not just for one day.
"They have to come here for a week, two weeks and be our guest and they will get a chance to meet many of you and talk about how the CTO is going to help Guyana..."
He noted that focus has to be placed on selling a Caribbean product, which is what they are focusing on now, but attention also has to be placed on selling what the different destinations have to offer.
"And what Guyana has to offer no other Caribbean country has to offer. We have to get some good space in that promotion or else we are not going to pay the dues and will use our money otherwise", the minister stressed.
He added that when people hear about Guyana, negative things come to mind.
"I don't agree with the negative talks. I don't accept it, but I have to recognise it", he pointed out.
He recalled that recently he was having a discussion with a friend on a visit out of Guyana, who noted that Guyanese have to work hard to convince people to come to the country since many are brainwashed with negative aspects of the country, some of which are perpetrated by overseas-based Guyanese.
"...one of our strategies is to work intensely in the overseas Guyanese communities to let them know what we have to offer in Guyana (cause they don't know)...", he said.
Apart from such problems, Guyana is facing unreasonable demands from its surrounding neighbours, the minister said.
"...the neighbours are our friends as well but make unreasonable demands and therefore we have to find a way, that is, the Government and private sector, and the different international agencies, to get additional help to build, for instance, the tourism industry".
He further urged that to develop the country, "...we have to find a way to take advantage of the situation where all of North America and Europe and Caricom (the Caribbean Community) know that Guyana is unfairly picked on by our neighbours".
"... and we want USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and so on to help us much more in the development of the tourism industry. They are open to do so and the sector is already receiving some help", he said.
What will further help the country, he said is an increase in the human resources.
"As the industry grows, we have to look at the human resources development at the same time.
"It means training more people in Guyana and bringing more people from outside...if we don't do that, we will face tremendous problems...", the minister stated.
 Follow the goings-on in Guyana
|