Stabroek News
May 31, 2001

The unrest in the aftermath of the March 19 elections has had some impact on the tourism industry and prospective tourists are enquiring about the political situation, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) Executive Director, Indira Anandjit said.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Anandjit said that the political tensions before and after the March 19 general elections slowed down business but "it (the loss) was not dramatic as such."

She noted that after the Mashramani season there is generally a lull in travel with persons visiting on business being the main visitors. However, the season begins to pick up in June-July, peaking in August for the mid-year season.

She said that based on reports from hoteliers, there were a few cancellations from the regular customers at places like Cara Lodge and Cara Suites but this was partly cushioned by persons who came into the country to cover and monitor the elections process. Cara Inn was affected much more than the others in the Cara chain.

Evergreen Tours, which caters for local and foreign tourists, suffered from major cancellations but this was basically because in Guyana people were reluctant to leave their homes.

The local food and beverages and entertainment industries, she said, were affected after foreigners who would patronise local bars stayed indoors as much as possible while Guyanese also opted to remain home during the tense period.

Wilderness Explorers, one of the largest tour operators, also had some cancellations and enquiries were made about the political situation. However, many persons have indicated an interest in visiting once the situation returns to normal, she said.

Anandjit feels that the enquiries may also be linked to travel advisories put out by diplomatic missions on their websites and which still remain in effect for most, including the United Kingdom and European countries. (Miranda La Rose)