Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir gave the assurance when he addressed the annual fundraising dinner of THAG, at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, last week.

And, according to him, "Tourism is now a pillar of our economy because of the efforts and investments of THAG members and those brave entrepreneurs who have heeded the call and plunged fully into the tourism and hospitality industry.,"

"In the last decade, it was you who gave us the big stories, you who have developed the product, you who have promoted the sector, you who have trained the personnel and you who have informed government policies and programmes," he told the gathering which included tour operators and proprietors of resorts and guest houses.

"We remember Mukesh Daby, Wilfred Jagnarine, Basil Dyal, Roy and Ronald Basoo as they took their money and skills and developed Lake Mainstay Resort; Captain Jerry Gouveia and his team launching Roraima Tours and Arrow Point Nature Resort; Maurice Amres, Paul Stephenson and Le Meridien with Timberhead; Michael and Nicole Correia with Baganara; Jad Rahaman and White Water Tours; Richard Humphrey investing in Emerald Towers; Shaun and Monica McGrath, Paul and Dian Stephenson and Gavin O'Brien the Cara brand; Lennox John delivering Splashmins; Colin Edwards at Rock View Resort; Dianne and sandy opening Dadanauwa to tourism; Joan and Max Jardin at Shanklands; Dianne Mc Turk at Karanambo; Richard Ousman the pioneering Wonderland Tours; the Ally's and Air Services; the late Mohamed Khan and Linda bringing on stream Savannah Inn and Tours; Donald Sinclair and his Visit Guyana Year 1996; and Caribbean Tourism Entrepreneur of the year, Tony Thorne and Trudy the moving forces behind the Wilderness Explorers," he added.

The Minister pointed that in all the developments side by side were the airlines "with BWIA standing tall and very ready to assist the industry in whatever was requested of them".

"I am not oblivious to those who have preceded this contemporary wave of pioneers, like Margaret and Captain Chan A Sue. However, as we turned into the 1990's, those whom I have mentioned and many more, were the standard bearers of the modern tourism industry," he asserted.

"These were the persons, when the history of THAG would be recalled, who would be credited with getting government funding for tourism, advocated the formation of the Guyana Tourism Authority, began a marketing programme for tourism and of course getting government to establish a tourism incentive regime for tourism," he contended.

Nadir, cautioned however, that "while we deservedly need to congratulate and compliment THAG and all of you in the sector for your sterling contributions, we cannot be satisfied nor be very pleased and rest on past laurels".

He posited that most operators still face that uphill task of being profitable. "Economic viability of the sector still hovers around the danger level."

Alluding to statistics, the Minister noted that while visitor arrivals peaked in 1994 at 112,824 persons, the country has been struggling to reach that level again.

According to him, 2003 figures for the first half of the year were pointing to us setting record levels of arrivals. We were projecting 120,000 visitors. Then came the effects of the crime wave that gripped us and extended into the first half of 2003."

In addition, "Gruesome pictures on the front pages of our newspapers were part of the breakfast menu consumed by overseas based Guyanese (our largest market) and Caribbean and other visitors who were considering visits to Guyana."

"Needless to mention the many cancellations and the rapid spreading of the worst stores by visitors to Guyana," he added.