THE Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) have again set a precedent by issuing a Certificate of Conformity to Colin Edwards from Rock View Eco-Tourism Resort Limited, the first interior lodge and resort to achieve 100% compliance.The Tourism Ministry and the GTA have been striving continuously to prepare local businesses to become more competitive and to ensure that the establishments meet the necessary requirements expected by any tourist or visitor, whether they are locals or from overseas.

GTA’s Director, Indranauth Haralsingh, in presenting the Certificate of Conformity to Colin Edwards, noted that this is the second tourism business, to date, and the first interior lodge and resort to achieve 100% compliance.
“We want to take this opportunity to congratulate Rock View Lodge for this achievement and for following through with the process. This is a significant achievement and should set the precedent for other businesses,” Haralsingh said. The other business to achieve this conformity is Wilderness Explorers, a tour company.

CONFORMITY TO SET STANDARDS
He noted that with the growth of the tourism sector, conformity to set standards and regulations should be the focus of tourism establishments, even as they employ the best marketing and promotional strategies.
The GTA Director highlighted the benefits of registration and conformity of one’s business and made a special appeal to businesses that have not yet registered. He urged them to recognise the importance of the exercise and the many benefits of being in compliance.
GET REGISTERED
“The first step is to be registered. You may have various reasons but no business is too small to be registered, especially if people are putting all their faith and trust in you,” he declared.
Haralsingh noted that the tourism regulatory body has so far recorded an 86% registration rate for local tourism businesses and have now reached the licensing phase for some entities.
He explained, “We have a total of 28 such entities (Interior Lodges and Resorts), so far we have had 86% registration rate which is a favourable indicator of their businesses’ willingness to participate and improve their quality of service and standards.”
Alluding to the benefits to be derived from achieving 100% compliance, Haralsingh explained that the GTA will be separating these businesses and will provide a listing on their website. “This will determine who gets support in terms of both local and international exposure.”
“The GTA’s Act and these regulations say that you need a license to operate any one of these businesses – we will not want our visitors to have a tourism experience with an unregistered and unlicensed business,” he emphasised.
Rock View’s proprietor, Colin Edwards acknowledged the benefits of the company’s achievement and urged other entities to follow suit and to take the challenges in their stride.
He noted that this achievement is not without challenges but he still encouraged tourism businesses “to stay focused on delivering the highest quality of goods and services to their clients and to recognise the importance of meeting the criteria set out in the regulations.”
OASIS IN RUPUNUNI SAVANNAHS
In 1992, Colin Edwards, a gregarious Englishman with a vision, bought Rock View in order to fulfill a dream of building an environmentally-friendly lodge and working farm that would also benefit surrounding communities. He started with arid and rundown ranching lands and has created an oasis in the Rupununi savannahs. Gardens flourish, cattle graze freely, flowering and fruit trees abound, and numerous jobs have been created for local community members.
The GTA has given the assurance that it will continue to monitor and evaluate hospitality institutions across the country in an effort to ensure that the tourism industry keeps on growing and expanding.