THE Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is currently working with ‘Bed and Breakfast’ providers, especially those who are not functional and up to standard, to get them on board for the highly anticipated Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket tournament in September.
The very day it was announced that games will be played here in Guyana, including the final, the hotel rooms were all booked up by night-time for the period of September and October.
“So we realised that we need to get more rooms available for people; what we’re doing is trying to pull together all of the bed-and-breakfast providers… some people are on the list but are not functional or not up to standard, so we at the ministry are trying to ensure we get them on board,” subject minister Oneidge Walrond told the Guyana Chronicle recently.
She was speaking in an interview on the sidelines of a recent event to mark Fibre Tech Industrial Plastics being the first company to receive the ‘Made in Guyana Mark’ by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards.
According to her, the ministry is currently inspecting Bed-and-Breakfast facilities to bring them on board with being able to provide accommodation; but not just any accommodation – accommodations that are suitable and that would meet the expectations of visitors.
“So at the moment, we are working on compiling that list, getting everyone on board, getting everyone trained and ready,” Minister Walrond shared.
The ministry is also working on developing new and existing tour packages to cater for a one-day, weekend, or even one-week tour for visitors, which of course will be also be available to locals.
So far, the ministry, along with the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and GNBS, has conducted the first of two Bed-and-Breakfast awareness sessions with B&B Owners, Start-up Innkeepers and Prospective B&B Providers. These sessions focused on the National Bed & Breakfast Standards (GYS 514:2016), led by the GNBS as well as an introduction to the official Airbnb platform, led by the GTA.

SUPPORT
The ministry has assured that the authorities will continue to provide the necessary support to persons interested in providing accommodation services during the CPL Cricket Carnival Season (September 16 – October 2).
The ministry has since put out an Expressions of Interest for Bed and Breakfast packages for the CPL. An ad in the daily newspapers said that the ministry is encouraging existing as well as potentially new Bed-and-Breakfast providers throughout the country to express interest in developing homestay packages for the CPL matches.
Meanwhile, the announcement that Guyana will host the CPL finals for the next three years created quite a buzz in the country, regionally, and on social media. This is the first time that the Hero CPL finals will be held in Guyana.
“Cricket is much more than a game for us in Guyana; it is a passion, part of our culture and a unifying force. As we celebrate ‘One Guyana,’ the hosting of the CPL finals will be an energising force,” President Irfaan Ali had said. “We are building a product that will be spectator-focused, integrated with our regional partners for a global market. Cricket Carnival is a fusion of entertainment and celebration that will be mind-blowing and unbelievably different from any other global cricketing event.
“We welcome all to the greatest celebration of music, pageantry, Caribbean vibes with a South American touch and of course, cricket played loudest,” he added.
This season, Guyana will host seven group games, three knockout matches and the Hero CPL final which will take place on Friday, September 30, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The Hero CPL final will be the climax of festivities surrounding these games taking place in Guyana.
The Government of Guyana in collaboration with the local private sector, will also stage two weeks of events which will form a Cricket Carnival. This carnival will celebrate the best that Guyana has to offer, showcasing the music, food and culture of this vibrant and fascinating country.