Dear Editor,

TOURISM is destined to be one of the major industries in Guyana. Many of its aspects have to do with Amazonian trekking (trekking of the Amazon jungle), bird watching, mountainous jungle hikes, fresh water fishing, brown water beaches, and natural health cures using natural salt water and our mineralized earth.Among the deficiencies in Guyana relative to tourism are the lack of proper training schools for the tourism industry; the constant attack on various tourists within our country, and dishonest taxi drivers; and this is very depressing.

We saw recently what happened to a retired British soldier who had returned to Guyana after 50 years to be part of Guyana’s Jubilee celebrations: a despicable and unpatriotic local citizen robbed him of important sentimental objects at the Stabroek Market Square.

Another disappointment was when four Caucasian tourists were enjoying the festivities at Durban Park and, for some reason, our own local Guyanese were annoyed with them, cursing and abusing these individuals and almost throwing them down the bleachers.

Our people need to be trained to respect others, because, as it is, we are losing our reputation as a people of hospitality.

Also, on Friday, August 12th, we learned that a Chinese trio had been robbed of millions of dollars in an unmarked vehicle on the Sea Wall somewhere along the East Coast.

Can these bandits understand what they’ve done to the psyche of these individuals? Can these bandits understand what they have done to our country?

I have travelled to Japan and moved through all kinds of societies, and I am amazed at how I was treated with total dignity and respect by total strangers, who bowed when we were passing and were always kind and welcoming.

What has happened to our people since we commenced our experimentation with socialism in the 70s?! Is Guyana on the throes of social decay and a disorientation of mentalities? Are we becoming a beastly nation — without compassion for even tourists, who are here and are actually contributing to Guyana’s economy?

Our people need to learn and be educated: help a tourist, display generosity, show love. We need to show that we are a mature, disciplined, hospitable people.

I find it most painful in my soul and my heart for these Japanese people. I do believe we need serious adjustment to our laws! We need to have another set of laws for persons who commit criminal acts against these visitors.

Tourism is expected to be a major plank of our economic structure. We need to safeguard it with much jealousy as a unique natural resource.
So, in my opinion, anyone who touches a tourist without permission should be sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment; and anyone who uses violence against a tourist for the purpose of hurting that tourist should be given 25 years’ imprisonment.

These are the kinds of legal enactments we need: laws with claws; laws with teeth that bite deep! And we must have the structure set in such a way that there will be no stone left unturned to capture the bandits who harm tourists.

Today, I, a patriotic citizen of this country, who loves his country immensely, feel ashamed of our country. I feel greatly pained that we have nothing in place to help support our tourists.

Please, Government of Guyana; please Guyana Tourism Authority, read the contents of this piece again and again and again….
ROSHAN KHAN,
CEO/Founder
RK’s Security Service