EVEN closer ties between Guyana and Cuba are in the offing following lengthy discussions in Havana Tuesday between Minister of Tourism (ag), Mr Irfaan Ali and Cuba’s Director of International Relations, Mr. Rosa Adela Mejias Jimenez about the prospect of joining forces on tourism.And according to Minister Ali, if all goes well, Guyana stands to reap immense benefits from whatever knowledge it can glean from Cuba’s success story in the tourism industry, which is widely known.

Mr. Jimenez, through a power-point presentation, demonstrated to Minister Ali the tremendous strides Cuba has made over the years in tourism. The presentation also contained a comprehensive analysis of that country’s related efforts.
During the meeting, Minister Ali noted that Guyana’s tourism, which is still in its infancy, can be significantly boosted through collaboration with the Spanish-speaking country.
And to set the ball rolling, he there and then proposed setting up an exchange programme between the two countries, as part of their tourism drives to facilitate the teaching of Spanish and English for frontline tourism staff and students.
He also proposed the development of a multi-destination package through joint-marketing initiatives; the development of a framework through which institutional strengthening and industry knowledge-transfer can be shared; and exploring the possibility of using Cuba’s well-connected and far-reaching singular operator to be an agency which can position Guyana to benefit from their wide network.
Minister Ali has since said he will further these discussions through a high-level delegation, inclusive of the private sector, which will travel to Cuba soon.
Mr. Jimenez commended Minister Ali for his suggestions, and said he looks forward to the collaboration, which would further strengthen the already strong relationship Cuba has with Guyana.
Accompanying Minister Ali to the meeting with Jimenez were Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Ms Mitra Devi Ally, and Director of the Government Information Agency (GINA), Mr Neaz Subhan.
Recognising these positive developments and continuous growth in the tourism sector, government has moved to implement projects such as the Marriott Hotel and the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to meet the growing demand.
In 2012, Guyana recorded a 17% increase in arrivals, and in 2013, was one of three Caribbean destinations to record double-digit growth. The National Geographic Traveler has listed Guyana as one of the 21 “must see” destinations in the world in 2014. (GINA)