Da Silva urges vision in eco-tourism drive
By Miranda La Rose
Tourism Minister, Geoffrey Da Silva, yesterday advanced the creation of a vision to move Guyana's eco-tourism forward. Leading a panel of local stakeholders in the industry in the final workshop of the Fourth Annual Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development, Da Silva said that there were three main tasks that Guyana must address in the journey to develop eco-tourism. He outlined the tasks as creating a vision, developing leadership, and forging partnerships and alliances at the local, regional and international levels. Dealing with the topic `Unlocking the Potential for Tourism Development in Guyana - Stakeholders Speak Out', Da Silva also urged the formation of a plan by stakeholders, which will set achievable targets for two, five and ten years. Da Silva said that the creation of a vision would outline what stakeholders wanted for the industry. Guyana, he said "has the bio-diversity, the flora and fauna and most importantly warm and hospitable people to offer world travellers an exceptional and unique experience to grow, to live and to learn." But Da Silva said he also remained, "deeply convinced that domestic tourism will make a significant contribution to our most important project, that of forging one people, one nation with one destiny". This was one of the reasons why, he said, Guyanese should connect spiritually with the Kaieteur Falls, the highest single drop in the world which the Guyana National Trust is seeking to promote as a World Heritage Site. Waxing poetic, he said, "at Kaieteur, your heart will see Guyana; your eyes will feel our beautiful people and you will be able to listen to our dreams with your soul." Da Silva said that the country needed leaders in the industry who would be able "to communicate the vision, balance the sense of urgency with patience, grasp the details and care about the grungy work, while at the same time, seeing and understanding the bigger picture." Noting that tourism leaders in the main will be young, Da Silva said that Guyana needed tourism leaders of all ages, who were optimistic, and would focus on the advantages and not only the flaws. He said he blamed no organisation or individual for the negative image of Guyana overseas, and expressed confidence that the negativity will change very soon. "Guyana's potential needs to be amplified to the world not diminished," he added. Guyana will be pleased to accept feedback and criticism, as well as goodwill and support from delegates to the conference, he said. The minister said that tourism leaders will have to work in partnerships to create the vision and sustain it with consistent organisational action. "The vision must be real so that our people understand it, not just in their minds, but in their hearts and their guts." Tourism leaders will have to show in practice effectiveness, honesty, expertise, integrity and trustworthiness, he said. And as regards an eco-tourism development plan, Da Silva proposed in the short and medium term, deepening and extending partnerships between the public and private sectors through tourism awareness programmes that include lectures, seminars and events with schools, businesses and civic organisations; reviewing in partnerships all the reports and proposals that have been prepared over the last decade for the development of tourism; establishing the Guyana Tourism Authority by year end; strengthening the Tourism Division of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry. His immediate proposal was to establish realistic arrival targets for this year and additional targets for the next two, five and ten years for eco-tourists from North America, the Caribbean, Suriname, Brazil, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia and Europe. Other proposals include reviewing and commencing consultations with communities along the identified potential tourist routes; including all public and private organisations in the creation of a domestic tourism plan; and determining the present capacity of the eco-resorts to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. Da Silva said that hosting the CTO conference has provided Guyana with the golden opportunity to unlock its secrets to the world. Asked what more important lessons Guyana would have learnt, at a press conference following the session, Da Silva pointed to the need to place more emphasis on health and safety. This, he said, had to be done in conjunction with the private and public sector. Another important lesson, he said, was that Guyana would have to find new ways of marketing itself. He said that Guyana has learnt and will be able to gain more from the expertise of other countries which participated in the conference. The other panellists were President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana, Gerry Gouveia; tour operator, Shell Beach Adventures Annette Arjoon; hotelier Cathy Hughes; Coordinator of the Division of Caribbean and Tourism Studies of the University of Guyana, Donald Sinclair; Project Coordinator of the Amerindian People's Association, Jean La Rose; and Principal Research Fellow of the Iwokrama International Centre for Forest Conservation and Development, Clayton Hall. Meanwhile, at a wrap-up session of the conference, which attracted the largest delegation to any of the four conferences held so far, Da Silva noted that the feedback from those who visited the country's tourist resorts was that Guyana has a unique product to offer the world. The delegates were given the options to tour a number of places including Kaieteur Falls, Orinduik Falls, Shanklands, Rockview, Annai, Karanambu, Lake Mainstay Resort, Baganara, Baracara, Timberhead/Santa Mission Rainforest Resort, Emerald Tower Eco-Lodge, Arrow Point Lodge, and Double B Exotic Gardens. They were also taken on tours of the city.
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