GUYANESE visiting Barbados will soon be able to do so hassle-free, thanks to a package to develop inter-regional travel and links in tourism and trade between the two countries.

Guyana's Honorary Consul to Barbados, Mr. Norman Faria made the announcement Wednesday while addressing a one-day seminar titled 'Bridging the Gap' at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown.

The seminar was held by the Caribbean Tourism Development Services Limited, a private tourism and marketing company, and the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry.

"They (all the principals involved) have given assurance to the Barbadian authorities that all the immigration and customs regulations at the Barbados end will be respected", Faria reported.

He said the immigration authorities of tourist receiving countries would be briefed on the tours going in so that special arrangements will be made.

Faria said the Guyana Consulate would only get directly involved in the programme as visitors arrive by dealing with Guyanese citizens generally when their rights are violated.

He cited instances of Guyanese travellers having valid passports and immigration officials having no reasonable ground to refuse them entry, explaining that the Consulate will make some enquiries with regard to the rights of traveller(s).

Efforts have been made by the Guyana Government and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana to solve this problem via meetings with the relevant authorities in Barbados and are still working on it.

"...there are difficulties. We all know that. We are trying to deal with the matter at several levels," Faria assured.

He said former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Clement Rohee did a "fine job" in raising the matter with the Barbados Government at several levels.

"I know this personally because I met with Ms. Billie Miller who was Minister Rohee's counterpart while he was in (that) office...so I know that type of interaction was going on and obviously it would have had some effect because once they know the Guyanese Government is concerned about what is happening to Guyanese travellers at Barbados' port of entry, of course, they would (inform) the immigration and customs authorities to follow the regulations...and they have to be careful with how they treat Guyanese nationals", Faria said.

Consultations were also had at the level of the Consulate, which is mandated to ensure that the rights of freedom of Guyanese citizens are not violated.

Faria said he met the Chief Immigration Officer and senior officers at the Immigration Department and informed them about the reports made to the Consulate by Guyanese who were denied entry to Barbados.

According to him, he received several assurances from the Immigration Department that all reports made by the Guyanese will be dealt with by the professionals.

"So at that level, the Consulate's intervention, I must say, obviously had some affect although the difficulties do continue to a certain extent and Guyanese continue to be turned back at Barbados' port of entry when the officers (give) reasons for preventing them entry", Faria said.

The Guyana Consulate is also working on promoting investment here and has been reassuring potential visitors and investors that Guyana is a safe place to visit.

Faria said several persons, including Guyanese living in Barbados and foreigners in Barbados desirous of visiting Guyana for a holiday, contacted him enquiring whether it is safe to visit because of all the reports of post-election disturbances.

"There are difficulties in the post-election period but the authorities (in Guyana) are working to ensure that law and order prevail. The stability (aspect) in promoting a tourist destination is very important", Faria said.

He advised that the Consulate has the power to conduct a probe into such matters.

Faria said he was surfing the Internet and read that a British citizen, an immigrant of Nigeria, was denied entry at the airport in Toronto.

"...they denied her because she did not look British enough, so she contacted the British High Commission in Ottawa (and) the Ambassador made a probe into the woman's ordeal", he related.

"This is a form of stereotyping and this is what I impressed upon the immigration authorities in Barbados - that even though there may be one or two bad apples among the Guyanese arrivals as there are in any nationality, there is no reason for Immigration and Customs officers (to deny entry to) a Guyanese (who) comes to the airport and presents (his or her) passport...right away a red flag goes up and the officer presumes that this Guyanese is up to wrongdoing", Faria added.

He described the tourism package as "commendable", noting that Guyana should be able to benefit from some of the visitors to Barbados.

"...and there are a number of things coming from Guyana - Guyana has a fairly reliable communication sector, airline links and so on, and of course there are the additional exotic attractions of Guyana".

"We believe that Guyana can be promoted as a product of unique destination for people who want to visit the rivers, the heritage sites, old buildings and (see) wildlife and so on..."

Barbados will also benefit because tourists will also visit that country, Faria said.

Faria said tourism brings in the bulk of foreign exchange in Barbados as is the case with many southern Caribbean islands.

Barbados, which has an area of only 166 square miles, received 535,000 stay-over visitors last year and 560,000 cruise line visitors who normally spend one or two days on the cruise liners.

The government of that country expended $1.6 bln to push its tourism sector.

"... you could understand the amount of importance which the Barbados Government (gives to) this sector," Faria noted.