GOVERNMENT, acknowledging that tourism is growing in Guyana, has budgeted $150M for the continued expansion of the sector.
This was announced by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh in his Monday presentation of the 2011 budget to the National
Assembly under the theme ‘Together – Building Tomorrow’s Guyana – Today.’ He said the industry has been making an increasingly important contribution to the national development agenda with continued
emphasis on eco and nature based tourism, targeting special market niches.
Singh said marketing efforts have been upgraded with the, substantially, enhanced website of the Guyana Tourism Authority
(GTA), now boasting additional information on filming in Guyana for documentary and travel journalism purposes, relevant maps and
charts, updated weather information, as well as links to popular social networking sites.
He told the house that, reflecting these efforts, visitor arrivals in 2010 rose 6.3 per cent over the previous record high of
2009, with observable peaks during the April/May and July/August periods.
Singh said those highs coincided, noticeably, with the hosting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty-20
tournament and with several high profile entertainment events featuring regional and international headline celebrities, performing
to sold out crowds at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara and other venues, vindicating the emphasis on sports and
other event-based tourism.
He informed that government will continue to attract more visitors from overseas, utilising social media and targeting consumer
promotions, in addition to which destination awareness will be raised by facilitating high quality video documentaries produced by
such agencies as the Travel Channel and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Singh said greater focus on quality service will be achieved through regular monitoring of tourism services, in the areas of
accommodation, tour guides, operators and interior lodges and resorts, during the year.
He explained that government will also maintain investment in supporting infrastructure, sites and event development within the
sector, as well as working towards increasing the number and reducing the cost of airline seats available into Guyana.