An information package and policy paper outlining critical actions to be taken over a one-year period to kick start the local tourism industry has been presented to the government by a six-member task force of private and public sector stakeholders.
Stabroek News
June 28, 2001
The document, titled `Realising Guyana's Tourism Potential - A Policy Framework for Developing Guyana's Tourism', provides an activity update and recommended actions over 12 months "that could catalyse tourism development in Guyana," a release from the task force said.
The document was handed over to Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir by chairman of the group, Shyam Nokta at a simple ceremony in Nadir's office yesterday.
According to the release, the task force was formed at the end of the first workshop in a series that is being sponsored by the Caribbean Regional Human Resource Development Training Programme for Economic Competitiveness (CPEC). The programme is meant to assist in tourism training and capacity building for the local tourism and hospitality industry.
None of the recommendations in the report was divulged.
The document, the release said, puts into a logical framework two of the more important studies, the National Development Strategy (1996 first draft; 1999 revised draft and the 2000 final document) and the Tourism Policy Document prepared by the University of Guyana Division of Caribbean and Tourism Studies consultancy team in 1998 for the country's tourism sector.
Recognising that the actions outlined in the NDS are a 10-year strategic approach and do not have an implementation schedule, the task force outlined critical actions over a one year-period.
The actions, the release said, took into consideration the limited resources presently available for developing the tourism sector.
It recognised too the need to capitalise on processes and activities that are currently underway and which can assist directly and indirectly in sector development.
The task force envisages that the document would facilitate a better understanding of the position of the local tourism sector and the actions required to catalyse its development.
Members of the task force are Nokta; President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Gerry Gouveia, Director of Tourism in the Ministry of Tourism and Industry, Tessa Fraser; Manager of Timberhead Resort, Paul Waldron; THAG Executive Director, Indira Anandjit; and CPEC Programme Coordinator, Donald Sinclair.