TOURISM could serve as one of the major pillars of Guyana’s economic salvation, once the right strategies are in place and more funding is pumped into the industry by the government and the private sector, says prominent businessman Captain Gerry Gouveia.Gouveia, who has investments in the tourism sector, says if the orientation of government is right, Guyana would have a flourishing industry which would create sustainable economic development.

He said, “Around the world, countries invest as much as US$60B in tourism, US$20B of which are used to promote eco and adventure tourism, which are the main types of tourism in Guyana.”

However, Guyana invests less than US$1M in tourism, although the sector is classified as one of the largest employers of human resources.

Regardless of all the major tourist attractions available in Guyana, Gouveia emphasized, proper funding is needed so there can be improvements in the industry.

MARKETING
“Successive governments failed to appreciate and understand the way to market Guyana. This comes with the failure to pump enough finance into the system. This is so because our administrators fail to understand the potential tourism possesses for us,” he said.

He noted that at least US$10M would be required to develop a marketing programme to change Guyana from the “unknown” to the “known”.

Marketing, he said, is a massive hurdle which must be cleared. All the festivals and other activities will fall short unless government gets the flow and breaks through the barrier. Until then, private sector investment will always be “crawling”.

PEOPLE FOLLOW BRANDS
The investment in the Marriott Hotel was a significant move, he said, a step in the right direction because of the brand it brings. And the Marriott should be made Guyana’s flagship for tourism, he said, since it is known that people follow brands.

Apart from that, modernising of the airport and other infrastructure are good initiatives, but without a proper marketing programme, that would never be enough, Gouveia thinks.

NO MAJOR INFLUX
The stagnant yearly arrival figures of between 100,000 and 200,000 persons show that there has been no major influx in persons entering Guyana. Therefore, “if more emphasis is placed on tourism, there will be an enormous difference. And even if the tourists came for a week, by checking 500,000 a year at US$1,000 per person, you are talking a good game,” he said.

However, when persons come to Guyana, they are not only enthused by its natural beauty, but also the hospitality of the Guyanese people. The combination of nature and beauty mixed, with the people, makes an ideal tourism product that could take Guyana right up, he thinks.

As such, the investment would not only be for the natural resources, but also the human resources which would help to better develop Guyana as an ideal tourism product.

“The amazing natural geographic features, Amerindian people in their natural habitat, all make for a great tourism destination. By investing in and marketing these assets, attracting tourists would be a breeze,” said Gouveia.

RUPUNUNI
Once there are adequate investments, a major tourist attraction, the great Rupununi, can be taken care of and preserved. Given that it comprises low wet lands similar to the lands in Brazil, it floods every 5-10 years, Captain Gouveia said.
As such, all of Guyana’s economic development needs to be scientifically based, because of the low lands. Those lands contain amazing biodiversity, and if they aren’t preserved, all resources would be lost or damaged forever, thus everything has to be carefully looked at, Captain Gouveia said.

The tourism stalwart said that due to agricultural activities conducted in the area, all the pesticides and other chemicals are there, and they end up in the crevices.

He said the Kaietuer Falls and the Rupununi could serve as Guyana’s two main tourist attractions, but without proper care and development, the level of their attractiveness would remain the same.