Nadir slams statement from tourism association
Says this year one of the best for sector
Stabroek News
October 26, 2002
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir says that this year is one of the best for the tourism industry, citing monthly tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings to make his case.
Nadir responded yesterday in a press release to the paid advertisement in the Stabroek News of October 10 by the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) which he alleged contained malicious and unsubstantiated statements that do not reflect the realities of the tourism sector.
He pointed to a section of the association's statement that said "2002 has been one of the most difficult years in the history of many tourism-related businesses in Guyana."
The tourism body had also stated that "the single biggest factor affecting the decision of visitors to come to Guyana is now a fear for their personal safety. Thousands of potential visitors, including overseas-based Guyanese, business persons from the region and further afield and leisure travellers have cancelled their trips, robbing Guyana of a critical source of foreign exchange."
The tourism body had declared then that it wished to add its voice to the many individuals, companies, associations, and other groups who have spoken out about the crisis in which Guyana finds itself.
Nadir charged that it was "very irresponsible for THAG to put in a paid advertisement that `Guyana is in Crisis' without specifying what. A crisis of crime, yes, but a `crisis' in general, no."
"Government," the minister said, "does acknowledge the problems and hurdles we face and we do work hard at resolution."
According to him, this year so far has seen a record number of visitors coming to Guyana and the country is set to reach and perhaps surpass the record set in 1994 when over 112,000 visitors came here.
Nadir noted also that even at Kaieteur Falls this year records have been set in terms of visitors there. "Up to September 2002, 2,130 visitors went to the falls, an increase of 636 over all of 2001. This puts an additional $13 million in the pockets of the aircraft owners out of Kaieteur travel alone," he stated.
Moreover, the minister observed, Guyana has benefited from quite a few international conferences this year, which he attributed to his "government's proactiveness in getting them here."
According to Nadir, the tourism sector contributed foreign exchange earnings over a three-year span for the January to June period as follows: US$43.7 million in 2000; US$31.3 million in 2001; and in 2002 US$36.3 million.
And the accommodation tax paid by hotels despite the 10% reduction for resorts shows 2002 being much better than 2001 with the January to September figure last year being $62.94 million while this year's figure over the same period was $73.40 million, the minister said.
"It is malicious to even try to associate those businesses that are having a bad year with any downturn in the sector. Clearly government has done its job in getting people to come here but these businesses that are doing badly have only management to blame," Nadir asserted.
"THAG cannot speak of 2002 in terms of being one of the worst. It is among one of the best."
THAG had stated in its paid advertisement that "tourism is currently one of the largest sources of foreign exchange to the Guyana economy but if the current levels of violence and other criminal activity in the society continue indefinitely, that source of revenue will be reduced to a trickle and then stop all together."
THAG had declared in its paid advertisement that the country "is now in a state of crisis and we believe that only a full recognition on the part of government of this fact and a resulting full commitment to dealing with this crisis will set the country on a path to recovery."
Nadir is contending that the association needs to recognize government's efforts and not ignore them. "This is another good example of Guyanese being our own worse enemies," he remarked.
"The government and I remain open and committed to work on initiatives for growth and prosperity," his release added.