`Masquerade' welcome for visitors
by Linda Rutherford
EXPRESSION ranged from pleasantly surprised, askance to downright trepidation among the young as passengers arriving on the BWIA 425 flight Tuesday afternoon were treated to a `masquerade' welcome at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. The little cultural sideshow marked the beginning of an aggressive marketing strategy adopted by the Tourism Division of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry for the Christmas season and the coming millennium. The plan included handing out specially packaged tourism brochures to incoming passengers until Christmas Eve and treating them to light refreshments. The mode of entertainment was to have also varied with the Banks Invaders steelband in attendance on Thursday and yesterday. Tourism Marketing Officer, Ms Maureen Paul said, "we want to get people into the spirit for Christmas and to demonstrate our marketing effort which is aimed at letting people know that Guyana has a tourism industry which is as marketable and equal to what they're accustomed to seeing outside". Asked how she felt about the little treat, Ms Stella Moore, who was among the 88 passengers arriving on that particular flight, said she quite liked the idea and that it showed that Guyana was on the up and up. Moore, from Stewartville, West Coast Demerara who has been living abroad the past three years, said "it reminds me of Barbados. That's the way they do it at times". Mr Henry October, who is home for a family reunion, said he was taken completely by surprise, since he had never seen it done here before. He, too, was also partial to the idea if only the Tourism Division would keep it up. Grandchildren Jennell and Jeremy, both Americans, were not so accommodating, however. Here for the first time, six-year-old Jeremy stood stock still at the sight of the prancing `bull cow' and had to be prodded by his grandmother that it was safe to go ahead. Pressed about his reaction afterwards, he at first tried to put on a brave face but conceded after a little heckling from his sister that he had been scared out of his wits and hopes he never sees another masquerade band for the duration of his stay. Eight-year-old Jennell, on the other hand, on her second visit here, said she didn't mind it at all but doesn't particularly like masquerade bands. To Ms Enid Williams, who resides in New York and is home for the second time in 13 years, the sight of a masquerade band awoke in her a sense of nostalgia. "There's no place like home; no place like home", she said, a faraway look in her eyes. "I thoroughly enjoyed it; they don't have that in America", she said. Both Williams and October hail from Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. American Derek Gardiner, who with his three buddies are here to visit with old friends, have fun and savour some good old pepperpot, said though he enjoyed the entertainment, he feels the authorities can do a sight more about promoting tourism here. As for the revolutionary change brought about in the customs and baggage retrieval area with a little imagination and a few festive trimmings, Gardiner said, "it was really nice seeing the airport all dressed up. Seems like the tourism industry is really looking up". Mr George Beaton, Assistant Director of Customs (Timehri) whose initiative it was to dress up the customs area, said the idea is to imbue in people a feeling of Christmas on their arrival here. "I try to let people feel like Christmas when they come home (as) this is the first impression they get. The Christmas spirit starts right here. I think the Tourism Ministry has recognised this and they're right on the money", Beaton said. Meanwhile, a mini exhibition targeting Guyanese coming home for the Xmas holidays and hosted by the Tourism Association of Guyana (THAG) at the Hotel Tower on Monday was, reportedly, not as successful as had been anticipated despite being heavily advertised. According to a THAG official, the event was advertised by banner at the airport all last week and outside the Hotel Tower on Monday. It was also advertised on radio and in the press all last weekend. Called the THAG Mini-millenium Holiday Expo, the idea was to give prospective clients a flavour of what they can do while on holiday by way of brochures and video documentaries among other means employed in the industry in the hope that they would perhaps make a few bookings. Undeterred by the poor turnout, however, the group plans doing it again when the weather is favourable, probably outside the City Hall, and to shift focus to encompass the domestic market. Among tour operators who participated in the exhibition were Roraima Airways, Emerald Towers and Lake Mainstay.
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