WITH the US multi-million-dollar world class Marriott Guyana completed and operational, attention is being channelled towards bringing the Hospitality Institute, which is expected to be second to none in the Caribbean, onboard.In the 2014 National Budget, some US$4 million (Gy$800) was earmarked for the project, which is part of a wider plan to transform the tourism sector, and since then, much work has been done.Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director Indranauth Haralsingh told the Chronicle that the design brief and concept paper for the project have been prepared and submitted to the Ministers of Education and Tourism.

These important documents require the approval of the two ministers for work to begin on the construction of the world class centre, the first of its kind in Guyana.
Haralsingh said the institute will be built at the University of Guyana (UG), Turkeyen Campus and when completed, it will, among other things, offer short courses, diploma, certificate and degree programmes.
“It is a much-needed institution, it will help to prepare the skills needed for the tourism and hospitality sector as increasingly, visitors are looking basically for good service, quality service and only through an institution such as the Hospitality Institute we can train our people in service, in table setting, tourism, hospitality, in preparing and serving food, among other areas,” the GTA Director told this publication.
SKILLED LABOUR FORCE
The establishment of the institute will expand the Human Capital base of the country and with a highly skilled labour force, productivity will be at its optimal.
This would allow for efficient and effective utilisation of resource, leading to an increase in production.
Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali in 2014 had reported that the total direct tourism and hospitality sector values between US$131,471,820 and US$304,925,083.
A likely estimate being closer to the mean estimate is US$214,874,091 (8.3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product [GDP]).
Ali had explained that for the total value to be US$214,874,091, the following would have to be true. There are a total of 176,642 tourists in the year; of this total, 149,616 of these tourists come to Guyana for the purposes of visiting family, friends, personal business, or one day trips; these ‘visitors’ spend on average 15 days in Guyana; they spend on average US$60 per day; of the total, 8,832 of them come to Guyana for the purposes of adventure, nature tourism, or scientific research; these ‘dedicated tourists’ spend on average 13 days in Guyana; they spend on average US$206 per day; of the total number of tourists, 18,914 of them come to Guyana for the purposes of business; these ‘business travellers’ spend an average of 7 days in Guyana; they spend an average of US$226 per day; and the tax revenue rate collected by the Government from all of the above expenditure is 15 per cent.
Over the last 10 years, visitor arrivals have been increasing significantly in Guyana.
In 2013, arrivals were pegged at 200,235, but visitor’s arrivals in November 2014 alone increased by 13 per cent. Arrivals have been projected to increase by 15 per cent in 2015.
STRATEGIC SECTOR, TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT
Tourism has been identified as both the most important and the most strategic sector to secure Guyana’s future growth and development, and according to Haralsingh, the Marriott which recently came onboard, and the Hospitality Institute, which will also be realised, will position the country along this path.

“It is a very good transformational kind of project that will be undertaken by the Government of Guyana,” the GTA Director said, pointing out that the institute will be working closely with the top players in the hotel industry, including the Marriott.
Marriott brings to Guyana a five-star status, world class service and world class standards. These, Haralsingh said, will be shared with the Hospitality Institute, and the institute would in turn serve as a feeder of skilled personnel to the international hotel.
He said efforts would also be made to get students of the institute to do internship at the Marriott.
“The programmes there (Hospitality Institute) will have a theoretical and practical component so that persons, trainees and students could come over to the Marriott and many other top hotels for practice sessions and here at the Marriott we have so much to learn, the latest in terms of equipment, techniques, best practices, safety including food safety, and quality standards,” Haralsingh said
The Marriott and the Hospitality Institute, he said, will complement each other well, as they will set the stage for Guyana to develop a vibrant and highly competitive tourism sector, benefitting Guyana and the world.
And now that the Marriott is in operation, attention is being shifted to the Hospitality Institute.
“It is happening in stages and phases; it is a massive project and again, it is another transformative project that will benefit all of Guyana. The curriculum of the institute will also be developed to attract students from elsewhere in the Caribbean to come and study here in Guyana,” an optimistic Haralsingh told the Guyana Chronicle.

By Tajeram Mohabir