Tourist arrivals record slight decline
• GINA
Kaieteur News
February 23, 2007
Guyana recorded 121,989 tourist arrivals in 2004, the highest figure [Please note: link provided by LOSP] ever.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) stated that the various efforts by the administration to project Guyana as a viable tourist destination are paying off. For this year, many aspects are being pushed to propel the sector even as Guyana prepares to host several major international events, GINA added.
Development in the industry will continue within the context set by the National Development Strategy, and a major player in this expansion is the five-year tourism plan, according to GINA. Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, said the tourism sector recorded significant growth in 2006 with arrivals during the Christmas season surpassing those of previous years.
Last March, the Tourism Ministry launched its three-year birding tourism plan, building capacity for the provision of services for bird watching, an activity that is gradually becoming popular.
Guyana has over 800 species of birds, with 25 percent of them found in the city alone.
Another interest area that Government is hoping to propel is yachting and already there has been collaboration with the private sector and systems have been worked out to make entry into Guyana easy, as it relates to Customs and Immigration.
GINA noted that the national Budget has allocated $65.6M to the GTA to further promote Guyana as a unique tourist destination.
• The five-year tourism plan which has been supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) focuses on strengthening the GTA, expanding tourism education and training at the university level, implementing tourism regulations to improve standards and competitiveness, catalysing tourism development in the areas of agro-tourism, sports and events tourism, and nature-based tourism, including yacht and cruise ship tourism with the addition of new facilities.