–during fruitful talks with sector stakeholders on tourism development in Georgetown

FIRST Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali on Thursday evening held a meeting with President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mr. Mitra Ramkumar and a few other representatives of the local tourism sector, where she proposed a number of innovative ideas for the development of tourism in Georgetown.

Among those in attendance were representatives of ‘Seawalls and Beyond’, a fledgling local non-governmental organisation leading the charge for the restoration of the Georgetown Seawall; Messrs. Dwayne Hackett, Darrell Carpenay, Carl Melville and Ron Smith, and Ms. Savita Balkaran.
During the meeting, Mr. Ramkumar spoke of the struggle to keep the sector afloat in light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, since the country’s two major airports are still closed to heavy air traffic.

He, however, said that THAG and other tourism bodies are making every effort, in spite of the constraints, to strengthen the sector’s capacity by developing little “tourist hubs” round the city.

One area in particular that has been identified as a potential ‘mecca’ of sorts for tourists is the ever-popular ‘Georgetown Seawall’, which has been given much ‘press’ of late, after ‘Seawalls and Beyond’ embarked upon a major restoration project.

The First Lady was brought up-to-speed by both THAG and ‘Seawalls and Beyond’ on some of the immediate challenges which need to be addressed if the project were to be a success, such as: Improvements in the areas of solid waste disposal, the policing of the area, as well as lighting arrangements; and the regularisation of vending, and the introduction of a reliable fresh-water source.

Having been made aware of these challenges, the First Lady committed to engaging the relevant authorities and agencies to have them addressed.
“We will immediately commence and facilitate discussions with agencies like the Georgetown City Council, the Guyana Police Force and relevant Ministries to see how best we can develop workable solutions to these problems,” the First Lady said.

She also disclosed that ‘Seawalls and Beyond’ will be assisting with the proposed ‘National Beautification Project’, which will see the conservation of some of the scenic qualities of Guyana’s roadways, urban spaces, and countryside, while simultaneously creating a more environmentally-friendly society.
She said, too, that plans are currently underway at her office to identify spaces for eco-friendly parks in each of the country’s ten administrative regions, and to embark upon an ongoing national tree-planting exercise.

To complement these efforts, the First Lady also articulated her vision of improving local culture by providing support for the Creative and Performing Arts.
“One of the things that I wish to facilitate,” she said, “is the reintroduction of the Performing Arts at the Seawall Bandstand. This will not only support the Creative Industry, but provide economic opportunities.”