Gov’t plugs $35M into marketing Guyana
Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin (Adrian Narine photo)
Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin (Adrian Narine photo)

…CPL, major racing meets to get funding

SEVERAL national and other events are to receive over $35M worth of funding for tourism development and promotion in 2019 through the Ministry of Business.
Presenting the figures at Monday’s Consideration of Budget Estimates 2019, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin stated that the greater aim of the funding is to continue to market Guyana as a viable tourist destination.

In the category of sport, the Caribbean and International Motor Racing Championship will receive $1M; the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Cricket will receive $1M while sports tourism in general will receive $4M.
Speaking to the latter, Minister Gaskin explained: “It’s to support various types of sports tourism activities; it’s not for one particular occasion. They’re various sports activities whether its football, swimming, inter-Guyana games, whatever brings people to the country that is supported by the Department of Tourism.”

Questioned further by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Gillian Persaud on how these various types of sports will help to bring revenue to the country Gaskin used the most recent experience as reference.
“We’d only look back a few weeks and we’d realise that during the recently concluded Women’s World Cup Cricket tournament, all our hotels were full. So, sports tourism is very real and it does benefit our economy and we cannot deny it and we need to increase public awareness and this is what this budget is intended to do,” he said.

In the South American country where six races reside, the Ministry of Business will also facilitate the celebration of a number of holidays across the ethnic spread.
These include Easter celebrations to be supplied with $500,000; Phagwah celebrations – $500,000; Diwali celebrations – $200,000; Youman Nabi -$200,000; Arrival Day – $300,000; Emancipation Day – $500,000 and the annual Christmas tree light up – $500,000.

Other events gathering more attention each year are also high on the agenda and include Mashramani celebrations to be funded with $1M; Independence celebrations – $700,000; Wedding Destination tourism – $500,000; Linden town week and expo – $500,000 and Jamzone summer Break at $500,000.

The Ministry of Business has also catered for out-of-town regions and their numerous tourism opportunities. Some of these events and their allocations are: Bartica Easter Regatta – $650,000; Birding tourism – $1M; sport fishing – $1M; Rupununi Rodeo – $650,000; Bartica Summer Regatta -$250,000; Wakenaam Night -$250,000; Moruca Expo – $250,000; Nereid’s Yacht Rally – $200,000; Lake Mainstay Summer Regatta -$300,000 and the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival -$300,000.

Other interesting events like the annual King’s Duck Curry Competition, was allocated $500,000 and have also begun to attract a large audience.
Not to be forgotten are the allocations to cultural heritage tourism, set to receive $3M and the Regional Tourism Development Strategy to support tourism flagship projects in all 10 regions which will receive$10M.

For Tourism Awareness Month celebrated each November, a grand sum of $5M has been awarded while, to recognise those in the ministry’s department, the sum of $100,000 will be spent on an appreciation lunch.

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