ACTING Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali said with the Texila American University expanding operations in Guyana, and negotiations with other universities to establish campuses here, Guyana is well positioned to become a prime educational tourism destination in this part of the hemisphere.

Educational tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of travel and tourism and one that is too often overlooked by tourism professionals.
Aside from Texila, government is in negotiation with three other universities which have expressed an interest in establishing their footprints here.
This is in addition to the construction of the International Hospitality Institute at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus and the building of an international Information Communication Technology (ICT) park, through financing from the Indian Government, at Providence, East Bank Demerara, which when completed will be second to none in the Caribbean
“Guyana has the capacity to become a major player in educational tourism. If we continue on the dynamic pathway of encouraging universities, teaching institutions and building modern infrastructure like the ICT Park that will be financed by the Indian Government, we are not going to become a major player in educational tourism, but become the most important player in this part of the world,” he said.
Grenada, a tiny Caribbean island, relies heavily on the St George’s University, an international medical school to sustain its tourism industry.
INNOVATIVE WAYS
Speaking at the sod-turning ceremony for the construction of the Texila American University (TAU) at Providence, Minister Ali said a country with a small population like Guyana has to find innovative ways to create avenues to attract higher demand for services, and Texila provides an opportunity in this regard.
The TAU, a medical school, offers programmes in Pre-Medicine, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Dentistry and Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.
The curriculum at the TAU is structured after the best US and Caribbean medical schools. The academic programme is both accelerated and rigorous, with a focus on preparing students for licensure in the United States, Caribbean and India. The programme curriculum is designed to reinforce the enduring tenets of the practice of medicine and to ensure the ability of understanding and handling the changing demands of health services in various fields of society.
According to Ali, with more students coming to study in Guyana, it becomes a big boost to the local tourism product.

BIG DIFFERENCE
“It makes a big difference when you have six to 10 thousand foreign students every day in your country. It drives up consumption, there is high demand for services, in a country like Guyana where we are having more and more social and entertainment services, the young population is important to consume some of these services. A small population like ours, we have to find innovative ways in creating avenues to attract higher demand for services and this university [Texila] will bring tremendous benefits to us here. I believe educational tourism will play an integral part in developing our tourism product,” Minister said.
Turning his attention to the location of the university, Ali, who is substantively the Minister of Housing, said the positioning is part of a wider plan geared at developing the East Bank corridor to connect with the East Coast, creating one of the most dynamic urban spread in this part of the hemisphere.
The programme began with the construction of houses in carefully planned schemes.
“We want to create an industrial zone, a commercial zone, a light-industrial commercial zone and we want to create an IT education hub that is second to none in the region.”
Where the university campus is located, the Qualfon Campus can be found. When fully completed, that campus will provide employment for 6,000 Guyanese.
SPRAWLING DEVELOPMENT
In the vicinity, nursing homes of international standards are being constructed, there a modern mall to the entrance of the road, there are gated communities structured among middle income, low-middle income, and low-income homes.
Minister Ali said the low-income housing in the area is important as these families will benefit from equity value that the higher earning family at the gated communities brings to the development spread in the area.
“What this means is that the asset value of a low-income family immediately moves up. So we are empowering people, improving their asset base and giving them greater access to liquidity,” he said.
But he said, the real game changer will come closer to the end of the year with the beginning of construction of a new bypass highway that will connect the East Coast and East Bank, linking East Bank to Ogle, East Coast Demerara.
The area was selected as it provides an alternative route to the municipal airport at Ogle, and will open up some 11,000 acres of new lands, where the government intends to commence a 5,000-home project.
By Tajeram Mohabir