A media release from Donald Sinclair, Executive Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), said the two lead tourism entities intend that this campaign should impact on a wide spectrum of ‘war zones’ in Guyana.

Attention will be focused on behaviour on the roadways and in offices and public buildings.

In addition, emphasis will also be put on restoring some values and traditions, such as respect by the young for the elderly.

Sinclair said that “while this courtesy campaign issues from a tourism source, its impact will not be limited to tourism outcomes, important as those are.”

“The tourism bodies,” he noted, “believe that good manners should permeate all aspects of national and social life, extending even to the arena of sport where the conduct of some sports personalities and spectators often proves to be a national embarrassment.” Referring to the campaign’s relevance to tourism, the GTA executive said too many visitors have had to complain about rude and impolite encounters that spoil an otherwise pleasant visitor experience.

The tourism experience, he observed, is such that persons employed in hotels, guest houses, bars, restaurants, and taxi services can make a visitor’s experience memorable for its polite friendly exchanges or for its disastrous encounters.

“This level of politeness and courtesy should be extended to local and foreign visitor alike,” Sinclair asserted.

According to the release, educational institutions are expected to play a major part in the ‘War On Bad Manners’ since it is very necessary for there to be self-sustaining arrangements in place to instil manners in the school population on a constant basis. Similarly, places of worship, entertainment and recreation are also expected to be key sources of reinforcement of the message of good manners.

And in this regard, the release informed, heavy reliance will be placed upon the national media to reinforce the priority that should be attached to polite, courteous conduct.