The disclosure by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad that tourist arrivals have been increasing is encouraging news as many predicted that there would have been a significant decline against the backdrop of the global financial crisis.

Providing statistics to this newspaper to show the positive trend in arrivals Prashad said Compared to 2008, in January, there was a seven per cent rise and 21.8 per cent in February, a 5.8 per cent decline in March, an 11.5 per cent increase in April, 7.7 per cent in May which increased to 18.8 per cent in June.

Notably too the minister said all the birding familiarisation (FAM) trips have been filled and the resorts in the Iwokrama area are booked until June next year.

Prashad said ‘Destination Guyana’ has continued to be promoted through participation in major international trade fairs, including the World Travel Market in London, England and the International Trade Bourst (ITB) in Berlin, Germany.

Through Wilderness Explorer, the first cruise ship ‘The Spirit of Adventure’ visited in April and another is expected during the next quarter.

Guyana’s tourism sector, admittedly relatively young compared to that of its Caribbean counterparts, has a distinct advantage because of the ecotourist/adventure nature of its product it has to offer which is becoming a major sub-sector of the tourism industry.

The tourist industry is one of the largest industries in the world with some countries surviving virtually on tourism alone and Guyana’s vast tourism promises to become a major sector of the national economy in the near future.

According to the World Tourism Organisation international tourist receipts were US$ 96.7 billion in 2007, up from USD 85.7 billion in 2006. When the export value of international passenger travel receipts is accounted for, total receipts in 2007 reached a record of US$ 1.02 trillion or 3 billion a day.

It adds that tourism is vital for many countries, such as the U.A.E, Egypt, Greece and Thailand, and many island nations, such as t, Fiji, Maldives and the Seychelles, due to the large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services, such as airlines, cruise ships and taxis, hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts, and entertainment venues, such as amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, various music venues and the theatre.

Tourism in Cuba attracts over 2 million people a year, and is one of the main sources of revenue for the island. With its favourable climate, beaches, colonial architecture and distinct cultural history, Cuba has long been an attractive destination for tourists. (Wikipeda)

So based on the above there is definitely a market for tourism products and very importantly the industry is a stimulus for the development of associated industries like the service and food ones among others.

Therefore the ball is in the court of the local stakeholders and they should continue to aggressively and innovatively market Guyana’s unique tourism products and work together in unison to further unlock, develop and modernise this increasingly vital sector of our national economy.