SIX tourism businesses have been granted conditional approvals for reopening, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has announced, pointing out that they have met the National COVID-19 measures and the GTA’s recommended Hygiene and Sanitation protocols.

This takes the total number of tourism businesses that have been granted conditional approvals for reopening to 47. These businesses, Blackwater Adventures; Double Day Hotel; Glow Royale by the Sea Hotel Restaurant & Bar; Pegasus Hotel; Status Hotel; and Ubudi Lodge can now welcome travellers and guests to their establishments safely.

Acting GTA Director, Kamrul Baksh said, “The GTA’s collective, coordinated approach towards a safe recovery has been proven successful. With 63 per cent of interior lodges and resorts, and 46 per cent of tour operators being conditionally approved to offer safe tourism experiences, I am convinced that we will see more businesses reaching out to us for support to gain this seal of approval.”

He further emphasised that businesses, “must be cognisant of the guidelines that govern their reopening or face revocation of their approvals as well as one month’s suspension of operations”.

The GTA, a release said, has been providing support to tourism businesses in areas such as training and capacity building, technical review of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) to ensure the recommended Hygiene & Sanitation protocols are implemented, on-site inspections and supplying sanitation products and signage to tourism-focused communities.

This is an ongoing effort, the GTA said, and urges all travellers to use only those businesses that have been GTA-approved to ensure that they have only safe travel experiences.

“For a list of these businesses that have been deemed Safe for Travel, please visit the GTA’s Facebook page under the album titled, ‘Safe for Travel’,” the release concluded.