Conference next year to help attract foreign tourists - Da Silva
By Desiree Jodah
A major conference involving about 250 overseas travel agents and tour operators, a familiarisation visit and attendance at major travel fairs throughout the world, are some of the means through which new Trade, Tourism and Industry Minister, Geoffrey Da Silva intends to promote the sector. Da Silva in an interview with Stabroek News said the ministry would be working with the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) to see what assistance government could give towards attending travel tours in London, Berlin, Chicago, and Toronto. He said THAG was thinking of adding the Netherlands tour to the list. According to Da Silva, he had a meeting with the organisation about two weeks ago to discuss these events. A tourism conference which will be held next year is the major promotion plan. The conference is tentatively set for May 18 to 23, and will be hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and the Government of Guyana under the theme "Sustainable Tourism, Keeping the Balance." Da Silva said approximately 250 tour operators and travel agents are due. Delegates are expected to spend a lot of the time visiting Guyana's hinterland and resorts. The ministry also expects to work along with BWIA to organise a familiarisation tour for visitors during the period of the conference. Other events planned for next year include visits to neighbouring countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Brazil, Barbados and Venezuela to promote Guyana to people there. Overseas-based Guyanese would also be targeted in the country's tourism drive. The Ministry will have a band at next year's Mashramani celebrations which will feature an international contingent, including Guyanese and friends from Canada, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States and Suriname. From today until after the Christmas season, Guyanese arriving home would be greeted at the airport and given information on Guyana and what it has to offer, by Ministry of Trade officials, members of the private sector and students from the University of Guyana. According to Da Silva, government is also placing more emphasis on domestic tourism. He said all Guyanese must appreciate the industry and its benefits or they would not want to get involved and as a result its growth would be stymied. According to him, this is the situation in Cuba which has one of the fastest growing tourism industries. This is also happening in the Dominican Republic and Belize, among other countries, he said. "What I am trying to say is if tourism is perceived only as a number of resorts in the interior of the country where certain tourists are brought from outside and they come in and spend a few days there and a day in Georgetown and then they go out of the country, we are never going to get Guyanese to feel that this industry belongs to them and they should participate in it and have an opportunity to enjoy it as well," said Da Silva. He said government sees the tourism industry as a partnership which involves many different aspects. Da Silva contended that every ministry and organisation must recognise this and sit together to share and help each other. Asked when the Tourism Authority would become operational, Da Silva said work on the building which will house the new Tourism Authority Board is expected to commence in the second week of January. He said the EU's funding of 100,000 Euros would go towards financing the renovations, while the $15M allocated by government would be used for equipping and staffing the facility.
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