THE disclosure by Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, who is also holding the responsibility for the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, that the daily arrivals here is averaging 1,000 persons and that the arrival figure is six percent above that of last year is most encouraging, particularly against the backdrop of the post elections apprehension.
So the notion of not having tourists and Guyanese from the diaspora coming for the Christmas holidays has been dispelled and our growing tourism and hospitality sector will receive a significant boost.
Mr. Ali in a comment to the Government Information Agency (GINA), correctly observed:
“This is a long held tradition of the Guyanese people to share the joys of life…we are known in Guyana for our warm hospitality, the traditional black cake and of course the finest rums.”
He added: “So the rumours of people not coming to Guyana because of national and regional elections have no merit … in fact we have more than 1,000 passengers arriving every day that alone speaks of the magnitude of work for the airport staff and customs.”
Noteworthy, is that the private sector has come on board as well to give visitors a grand welcome as several private sector bodies, including Banks DIH Limited, Madewini Resort and Beharry Group of Companies, provided an opportunity for passengers to sample the true tradition of the Guyanese Christmas.
Upon disembarking the planes and entering the arrival terminal at CJIA, passengers were greeted by carol singing and masquerade dancing, and were treated to black cake and some of Guyana’s finest beverages.
Such warm and friendly treatment augurs well for our country’s image and tourism industry and would encourage visitors to return to our country, particularly those that are visiting for the first time. First impressions usually become indelible in people’s mind and therefore giving visitors a positive first impression is vital to encouraging them to return.
For this reason, Ali said the Ministry of Tourism has planned a host of events for the festive season, including the Christmas tree light up, the Main Big Lime, and the many other festivities in and out of the city for tourists and Guyanese returning home for the holidays.
Guyana’s tourism industry is a relatively young one but has enormous potential to challenge our traditional major pillars of the economy.
Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries as well as the major source of foreign exchange earnings and employment for many developing countries.
World tourism demand continues to exceed expectations, showing resilience against extraneous factors. According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, released (November 2006):
* In the first eight months of 2006 international tourist arrivals totalled 578 million worldwide (+4.5%), up from 553 million in the same period of 2005, a year which saw an all-time record of 806 million people travelling internationally.
* Growth is expected to continue in 2007 at a pace of around 4% worldwide.
Tourism is vital to the wellbeing of many countries, because of the income generated by the consumption of goods and services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry and the opportunity for employment and economic advancement by working in the industry.
Guyana therefore, with the correct and efficient management and promotion of its tourism sector could capitalise on the huge global tourism market which could bring immense benefits to its national economy.