Linden's potential to be a tourist destination
By Miranda La Rose
Last Sunday was Linden Town Day. It was the fifth year that Linden was marking the anniversary of its establishment with the event. The event is intended to showcase Linden and bring the people of the town together in a celebratory and reflective mood as well as to attract visitors to Linden. The event was organised by the Linden Tourism Committee. While in the town last week we asked some Lindeners whether they felt Linden had the potential to develop as a tourism destination. Their views follow: Joe Barnes - administrator: 'There is potential for tourism in Linden providing it is properly organised. It is ideal for adventure tourism because of the proximity to the rainforest, which abounds in wildlife and creeks which teem with fish. At Linden there are the dug-out mines and a visitor gets the chance to see the large drag-lines walking on foot. In terms of culture tourism, Linden Town Day would be ideal to promote this. However, there needs to be an emphasis on more cultural activities and displaying and showing what Lindeners can do in terms of art and craft. Right now most of the people sell liquor and are just bent on fun and frolic. They tend to showcase Banks products instead of making the local beverages such as mauby and fresh fruit juices. Town day should emphasise `Made in Linden'.' Gordon Gumbs - administrator: 'There is potential and visitors would want to come and see what Linden and its environs have to offer once the attractions are marketed. However, there is need for a permanent body which will promote Linden throughout the year. People will travel the distance to Linden. Right now we only have Linden Town Day but it should not be full stop once the Town Day activities are through. A number of other activities could be promoted but the activities could culminate with Town Day. Right now the linkages are not there.' Walter Melville - retiree/former general manager: 'Linden is unique and it definitely has potential. It is the only town in the country through which a river flows. It is close to the comforts of a town and yet close to nature, to the flora and fauna of the tropical rainforest. I would agree that there needs to be better coordination between those organising cultural and tourism activities. Maybe the focus needs to be shifted from just earning a quick dollar by selling drinks and food and drinking and sporting on Town Day to something more meaningful. Maybe that will call for a process of evolution. There are many things that people can do and there is so much raw material that can be used to make mementoes. If the little boys can make what we call the `buck tops' with the `curio' palm seed I see no reason why this cannot be made and decorated in such a way and marketed. We can promote and develop what we have through a process of education. In terms of accommodation I think that enough people in Linden have big houses and with some innovation a family can provide some amount of accommodation.' Caroll Mason - pastor: 'The development of Linden needs the support of everyone. When we look at the spiritual aspect to the development of the town, God said that `Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people'. We need to look at the moods of Town Day to see what it offers. We need to look at it from the educational point of view and see what it has to offer spiritually, socially, culturally and economically. We need to evaluate the successes of this event and see where it will go next year. Whatever we do should have a positive impact not only on Linden but on the nation as a whole. The contribution of our young people to the activity should also be of a high standard. Whatever we produce should be products of excellence so that they could be used for export as well. I think that we have people, who are our most important resources, who can invest their time and resources into the town so that monies accrued could go back into the town. At the moment we all need each other to make the right type of input necessary for the development of the town and which would automatically spread to the rest of the country.' Norman Browne - youth leader: 'I think that with tourism Linden would have a good future. We have a lot to showcase here. It has the potential as a major tourist area. There is the water wheel at Christianburg and areas in the river are fertile for agricultural development to meet the demands of a local tourist industry. There would then be a market for art and craft. We have beautiful landscapes. What I am a bit disappointed about is that Town Day has deviated somewhat from its original objective of actually showcasing Linden. In addition the organisers are not producing financial statements. Some of the funds generated ought to go back into a Town Fund. The organisers of the Town Day pageant should also not encourage contestants who are not from Linden.' Mark Allicock - teacher/photographer: 'Since I have been moving around Linden as a photographer I have noted that Linden has great potential. Such sites include the old dug-out mines which have grown and form breath-taking sceneries and resemble some of the more exotic sites in the Caribbean. Persons in and out of Guyana would find these sites interesting. In Guyana there are people who have never seen a mine or even Linden. Some of the sites may be hazardous but with a little investment they could be made safe. The Kashif and Shanghai Football competition is another major event that should not be left out of a Linden tourism calendar. Kashif and Shanghai is very established and to further develop sports in Linden a stadium should be built here. We need to develop some of our basic infrastructure and with that we will be in business.' Wesley Isaacs - student: 'I think we have specific events such as Kashif and Shanghai and Town Day and we need to work to develop them as events unique to Linden. However, to get everyone involved we would need educational programmes to do so. While the attractions may be there and they still remain potential. People will need a lot of encouragement and this could be done through education. Years ago we had a regatta at Linden--that could be developed. Water skiing and river swimming are also unique to Linden. Linden needs a resort. Probably at the Band Stand or at Kara Kara.' Omeyana Hamilton - student: 'While there is definitely potential as there is in virtually anything, the infrastructure needs developing. Some are already being developed, such as access roads, which is positive. People, however, need to be enlightened about the potential especially viewing the spectacular beaches and blue lakes in the mines, water sports on the river and swimming and picnicking at Bucktown. There needs to be workshops to educate people and a permanent Linden tourism authority could probably take on this role. A lot of emphasis has to be placed on tourism not only in Linden but nationally.' Jamellah Bayley - teacher: 'We need to develop the infrastructure at Linden and we need not wait only for Town Day or Kashif and Shanghai to promote Linden or to repair the roads when some foreign visiting dignitary is to visit Linden. Let's look at what we have. Probably the only big thing right now to attract visitors for a day or two is Linden Town Day yet there is so much if we pool our ideas and resources together that we can come up with. One of the main resources for development is people. Linden has a lot of people and at the moment many are not doing anything. We need other activities during the year. The bauxite industry is running into problems and there is need for diversification. If we get our act together we can create jobs for ourselves by simply going the route of tourism.' Gordon Callender - general contractor: 'The way we are going with Town Day is a step in the right direction in promoting Linden. The people I think can do a lot but Central Government has to act as facilitator in getting infrastructure in place. I think that Linden being the gateway to the interior and probably to the intercontinental highway has a lot in store for it with the development of the Linden/Lethem road and the fact that it will open travel to Brazil and the inter-continental highway. Tourism can do a lot for Linden especially since unemployment is rampant in Linden especially among young people. While we do not have to wait on government to do everything for us there is need for government to invest heavily in basic services and infrastructure in Linden and we the people will do the rest. In the same way government could pour monies into other regions it can do the same for Linden.'
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