Heritage tourism project to generate economic benefits
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Heritage tourism project to generate economic benefits
Gets US$35,760 OAS supportBy Miranda La Rose
Stabroek News
August 24, 2000
Heritage tourism in Guyana has received significant support with some US$35,760 from the Organisation of American States (OAS) for the development of historical sites and craft production and training of tour guides, among related activities.
This disclosure was made at the launching of the heritage tourism project in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry on South Road, Georgetown yesterday morning.
The four-month project is aimed at generating economic pursuits through the development, management and marketing of heritage tourism sites and activities.
It is being conducted by the Tourism Division of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the National Trust.
Giving a background to the project which is a component of a regional one being funded by the OAS, Director of Tourism, Tessa Fraser said that the entire regional project costs US$150,000. The other countries taking part are St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, St Lucia and St Kitts-Nevis.
Fraser told Stabroek News that at present heritage tourism is in demand by visitors who want to know more about the history, culture and way of life of the people and places they visit. Heritage tourism, she said, will complement adventure and eco-tourism which the country is currently promoting.
Funding of the local component of the project will be for the development of historical sites; art and handicraft; institutional strengthening of local craft organisations; the development of national and sub-regional heritage tourism websites and training of tour guides.
The details include contracting of landscape architects, engineers, contractors to implement site improvements; construction and erection of signs and other materials for site improvement; research and collection of heritage site information; training of personnel in the use and maintenance of heritage tourism data bases and websites, including the provision of computers and digital cameras.
Project implementation will also entail training of tour guides; training in display/interpretation of historical artifacts; training in craft design, production techniques and marketing and other assistance and equipment for craft organisations.
In view of the limited period within which the funds are to be spent, Fraser released a tentative schedule which covers September, October and November.
Speaking briefly, Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry, Sonia Roopnauth and Keith Booker of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports thanked the OAS for its support of the project. The project was launched following a meeting of national coordinators of the multilateral project held in St Vincent in June.
In brief remarks Chairman of the National Trust and acting Vice- Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr James Rose said that there were three aspects to the development of heritage sites - inventorising of heritage sites, enhancing access to Fort Island and providing interpretive signs for ten heritage sites.
The heritage sites targeted are Mission Chapel Congre-gational and Winkel Settlement in New Amsterdam; Fort Nassau in the Berbice River; Kykoveral in the Essequibo; the Damon Monument at Anna Regina; the Water Wheel at Wismar; and in Georgetown the British Cemetery in Young Street, the 1763 Monument at the Square of the Revolution, the Place of the Seven Ponds in the Botanical Gardens, and Independence Park.
Speaking briefly too, Director of the National OAS Office in Georgetown, Michael Wyllie said that the project resulted from an OAS consultancy conducted over a year and a half ago by OAS tourism expert, Dr George Vincent. Dr Vincent had noted the strong interest from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in supporting the project's further development.
Fraser earlier noted that USAID is interested in the development of standards for sites and attractions and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and may be able to contribute US$500,000 to the project over a five-year period. CIDA on the other hand is interested in skills development.
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