MANY of the economies in the Caribbean are driven by very vibrant tourism sectors.
Indeed tourism is important to the developmental thrust around the Caribbean and some countries in the wider world, and governments are sparing no effort in putting necessary mechanisms in place for the furtherance of their tourism sectors.
Guyana should be no different and the government here, in its recent budget, has set aside more than $200M for the continued expansion of this sector. It is worthy of note that our tourism sector has been showing encouraging signs of growth in the last few years, and all the relevant players are engrossed in collaborative efforts to propel the sector as one that is capable of fulfilling the mission statement of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Commerce.
The budgetary allocation in this year’s budget for the tourism sector is clearly a show of confidence by the government in the sector, and recognition of the role it could play, and the potential of the industry in the development process of our country and people.
Quite rightly, the budgetary injection has drawn reaction from the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), which is heartened by the flow of funds into the sector, and pointed to growth within.
This year’s allocation is indeed worthy of notice, and the President of THAG, Mr. Paul Stephenson, has no qualms about the ability of the tourism industry to contribute to the growth of the economy of this country.
We also believe that the President of THAG was quite in order when, in an interview with this newspaper, he said: “For the first time the Tourism Sector has taken up so much time in parliament. I was very encouraged with what Minister Ashni Singh said, and the fact that he allocated so much time in the budget presentation on our sector is the best news I have had, so far, this year.”
Our tourism potential is as good as any other in the Caribbean and the wider world, but tourism must go hand in hand with the hospitality sector. This would certainly enhance our ability and chances in acquiring a competitive edge over our counterparts in the Caribbean.
However, developing such advantageous positions cannot be done by working in a vacuum, but rather with other players who could make a dent on the sector and win prosperity for our country and people. In this regard we side with Mr. Stephenson in lauding the efforts of the Acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali in working along with the private sector and other critical stakeholders to develop innovative initiatives which will see the expansion of the sector.
Despite all of the splendours it has to offer, our tourism sector remains a sleeping giant that is rearing to go, and we believe that the $200M allocation to the sector in this year’s budget is a sure sign that the government is ready to go the extra mile in unfolding the natural brilliance that would capture the attention of the unsuspecting tourist.
It is a known fact that most of our pristine hinterland which abounds with natural and scenic beauty is an empire by itself that provides solace, not to mention our majestic, winding and sprawling waterways that could be wrapped in one packet to tantalize those who seek to venture into a world within a world.
We believe that now that a hefty budgetary allocation has been made for the tourism sector, we should not shy away from our responsibilities to effectively promote and sell our magnificent product.