Finance Minister outlines tourism focus for 2012
OVER $200M has been budgeted in the 2012 Budget for the continued expansion of the tourism sector, as it is anticipated that this sector’s contribution to the national economy will grow considerably in the near future. Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh said so, on Friday, when he presented the record breaking $192.8 billion National Budget in the National Assembly. It surpassed last year’s, of $161.4 billion, which was the largest until then.
Cognisant of the growth and potential of tourism, the budgetary allocation for it has increased this year, from over $150M in 2011.
Minister Singh, in his 2012 presentation, said that tourism remains one of the sectors in which Guyana has a significant comparative advantage, given its vast and unique endowment of nature.
“It is anticipated that the sector’s contribution to the national economy will grow considerably in the near future, given recent gains,” he projected.
The minister said: “Our policy for the sector aims to ensure that the Guyanese tourism product maintains its relevance and attractiveness to target audiences; that the capacity of the industry is increased; that standards are raised and maintained; that the unique Guyanese product becomes as widely known and as favourably regarded as possible and that the destination and the industry are made as competitive as possible.”
He said target audiences include the Diaspora and visitors from neighbouring and nearby countries and the industry niches include eco and adventure tourism, bird watching, sport fishing and low carbon vacations.
“With these aims in mind, the tourism sector has been growing rapidly in recent years,” Singh said, noting that the industry’s capacity has been increasing steadily with significant levels of private investment, taking the total number of hotel rooms to 3,000 at the end of 2011, compared to 1,700 five years ago and visitor arrivals amounted to 156,910 in 2011, a 4.5 per cent increase over 2010.
Continuing, he said: “In 2012, efforts will continue to ensure that this sector accelerates its growth towards realising the fullness of its potential.”
Pointing out that the absence of a major international hospitality brand remains an impediment to both sector capacity and quality, Singh said, in 2012, efforts will continue apace to advance the US$58M Marriot Hotel project under a public/private partnership.
He said the 197-room hotel will include entertainment facilities such as a casino, nightclub and boardwalk.
Additionally, efforts will also continue, in collaboration with industry partners, to increase airlift and reduce seat price into Guyana, in order to ensure affordable access, Singh stated.

Closer links
He said the completion of the extended runway at Ogle Airport, along with the facilitation of closer links across the Takutu River and the Moleson Creek ferry crossing over the Corentyne River, will provide opportunities for traffic increases through these points of entry.
Singh said, within just a few weeks, Guyana will host the 13th Annual Caribbean Tourism Organisation Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-13), from April 15 to 18, 2012, under the theme ‘Keeping the Right Balance: Sustaining Our Resources’.
He said it will focus on issues relating to conservation, integrating bio-diversity into hotel and resort sighting and designing an agro and culinary tourism, while “allowing us to showcase our tourism product” to over 250 delegates and over 30 international journalists from the Caribbean, North America and Europe.
Singh said Guyana will expand its participation in international trade shows to continue to market this country as a birding, yachting and cruise ship destination.
He said, already, six international television channels. including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Discovery Channel, are confirmed to film documentaries during the year, reaching a global audience of hundreds of millions.