IN light of two tragic incidents involving tourists, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), on Tuesday, held a tourism stakeholder consultation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, in her address, highlighted the importance of safety, especially in the tourism sector which is growing at a rapid rate.

The minister emphasised that security and safety were the top pillars of any tourism sector and thus, should be handled with priority.

Tourism is Guyana’s third largest export earner sector after oil and natural resources. It is the driving force behind communal and sustainable development, an essential component of rural and national development, and a main source of income for many locals.

GTA officials listened attentively to several stakeholders as they related their experiences. Those in attendance were urged to suggest ways in which the concerns raised could be addressed.

One stakeholder raised the issue of people not wearing life jackets when travelling in boats, before pointing out the dangers of such a practice.

This particular issue is a longstanding one. The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and various ministries have stressed on the importance of wearing life jackets. MARAD began distributing life jackets after many complained about how costly they were to procure.

Certified boat captains not knowing how to swim was a focal point during the discussion. A stakeholder shared his experience with being in a near-death situation where the captain could not swim and thus was unable to assist his passengers which resulted in a death.

In commenting on this, GTA Director, Kamrul Baksh, informed the gathering that his organisation has partnered with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to implement search and rescue programmes.

Meanwhile, stakeholders were presented with a GTA Business Toolkit. This manual consists of helpful information such as general operational policies, along with safety procedures and risk management policies.

In cases of crises and disasters, the toolkit contains several thorough plans and protocols to use in dangerous scenarios.

The work being done by the GTA to make Guyana the ideal tourism destination is finally paying off.

Recently, Guyana was listed among the 16 Latin American Bucketlist Trips for 2023 by Wanderlust.

Popular US lifestyle magazine, Essence, in its most recent issue, listed Guyana as one of 12 places to visit in 2023. The National Geographic, United Kingdom (UK) and Lonely Planet have also identified Guyana as a must visit tourism destination.