Ten-year tourist arrivals record likely to be broken
Guyana Chronicle
July 22, 2004
A 10-YEAR record for tourists arriving here is likely to be broken this year and Cabinet has called for more aggressive tourism marketing, government spokesman Dr. Roger Luncheon reported yesterday.
The Cabinet Secretary said at his weekly press briefing that the number of tourists coming here this year could surpass the record of 112,000 in 1994.
There have been some 54,000 visitors for the first half of the year, with record arrivals in March and May, he said.
Luncheon said the matter was discussed at this week’s cabinet meeting where Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr Manzoor Nadir, projected an upbeat picture for 2004, both in absolute and comparative terms, based on actual performances for the first half of this year.
Consequently, Cabinet has called for aggressive marketing to sustain growth in the hospitality sector, he told reporters.
Tour operators have accepted the responsibility of making individual contributions to the tourism sector to put Guyana firmly on the map as a tourist destination, he said.
He added that tour operators have reported growth in their business as a result of increased arrivals, while there are "strong bookings" for the coming months.
Luncheon said several factors could be responsible for the increased arrivals but felt the improvement in the security situation was a major contributor, recalling the adverse impact the upsurge in crimes had on tourism during 2002-2003.
Officials pointed to several significant events in the tourist sector earlier this year, including the arrival of the largest cruise ship here.
The cruise liner `Minerva II’ docked in Georgetown with more than 500 passengers and 12 international tour operators were here to discover and assess the tourism potential.
During their stay here the tour operators from the United States and Canada, visited Kaieteur Falls, the Iwokrama rainforest reserve, Amerindian villages and eco-tourist resorts.
The international tour operators currently sell destinations in Central and South America and local officials hope to get Guyana on their programme.
Four couples also came in their yachts in March and visited the Essequibo.
They came on the `Janus’, `Mystic Adventure’, `Wind Rose’ and `Mood Indigo’, and vowed to return to savour more of the eco-tourism magic of the area and the warmth and hospitality of the Guyanese people.
The Iwokrama Rainforest Centre last week also announced plans to push tourism as part of its business programme to become self-financing.
Director General of the Commonwealth-backed project, Dr. Graham Watkins, said they plan to boost the tourist attraction potential of the 3,700 square-kilometre rainforest scheme in the south of Guyana.
He reported that some 450 tourists have visited the site so far this year, compared to 350 for last year.
He explained that a Canopy Walkway over part of the forest and the Turtle Mountain have significantly contributed to heightened tourist interest.
He added that the road to Lethem has made the site more accessible and the number of vehicles plying the area has jumped from about 20 per month to about 600 per month.