No new tourism director in time for Tourism Month – Minister Gaskin
Minister of Business and Tourism Dominic Gaskin
Minister of Business and Tourism Dominic Gaskin

GUYANA will be observing Tourism Awareness Month in November but it is “unlikely” that a new Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) will be appointed in time, according to Minister of Business and Tourism, Dominic Gaskin.

The GTA had invited applications for the positions of Director and Deputy Director recently after the tenure of the former Director Indranauth Haralsingh had ended. It was stated that the appointed Director would commence working from November 1, 2017.
Minister Gaskin told the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday that it was “unlikely” that the new director would be appointed by November.
He explained that before a new director is appointed, there is a “process” that must be followed. This includes reviewing applications, shortlisting candidates and interviewing them to select the most capable person.
The general criteria of the GTA for the position states: “The successful candidate must be a person who has the regional and international connections needed to accelerate national tourism development. Prior work experience in the administration, promotion, sales and marketing of tourism destinations will be a strong asset.”
Usually reliable sources from the tourism authority disclosed that there were four applications for the post of Director, including Haralsingh, who confirmed to this newspaper that he had reapplied for the position.
Gaskin said, however, that many more persons have applied for this position and presumed that four applicants were probably those shortlisted. He said also, “My information is [that] a lot of the applicants are not persons who reside in Guyana and that makes it more complicated.” As such, the process of selecting someone as tourism director will take more time.
Gaskin, however, gave the assurance that the appointment of the new director is “moving ahead as planned.”
In the meantime, sources also disclosed that Carla James-Chandra, the former Deputy Director under the Haralsingh administration, has been acting in the capacity of director.
As Guyana observed World Tourism Day on September 27 this year, Minister Gaskin acknowledged that this country is a relative newcomer to the family of global tourism destinations. In light of this, Tourism Month is used to tout Guyana as the ideal tourist destination for nature-based, community and even adventure tourism, cognizant of the country’s immense natural resources and diverse cultures.
With the recent rebranding of Guyana as “South America: Undiscovered”, the GTA has sought to promote the destination for both locals and tourists. Moreover, the economic significance of the month has been underscored during the observances each year, as the industry is one that is highly sustainable.

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