GTA Completes Hygiene & Sanitation Training at a Business Level for Key Tourism Businesses in Regions 3, 5, 8 & 9

Managers and Staff of Atta Rainforest Lodge, Karanambu Lodge, Caiman House and Mapari Wilderness Camp among those trained.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced how important it is for persons within the tourism industry to be very well trained in maintaining high
levels of hygiene and sanitation protocols within their establishments. Identifying the need to assist businesses in this regard to reopen safely, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) recently completed Hygiene & Sanitation training at a business level for representatives of tourism-focused communities in Regions 3, 5, 8 & 9.

Recognising the challenges that communities and businesses are facing in applying the GTA recommended protocols at a business level to reopen and knowing they are all eager to reopen after being shut down for more than eight (8) months, GTA expanded its health and safety training programme to train four (4) tourism lodges before the end of 2020 using Atta Lodge as
the classroom, as a pilot of the IDB Lab project. The GTA in partnership with Wilderness Explorers, Guyana’s only Destination Management Company completed training sessions for 17 representatives of Atta Rainforest Lodge and Karanambu Lodge, two (2) from Caiman House and two (2) from Mapari Wilderness Camp.

An additional session was also completed at Rewa Eco-Lodge with a total of 24 representatives. These sessions sought to raise awareness on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the best practices of health and sanitation using the GTA’s Hygiene & Sanitation Protocol and to assess and raise the lodge’s ability to safeguard the health of their staff and travellers from the pandemic as they prepare for a safe reopening. In addition to training, they were further provided with hygiene and sanitation support packages.

The Indigenous communities of Wakapau and Moraikobai, also benefitted from sessions which sought to reinforce the training they had previously received as they aim to continuously improve their standards of operation and develop the relevant protocols to ensure that they are always
prepared to not only host guests but to keep their communities safe.

Tourism Accommodation Establishments located in Lethem inclusive of Takutu Hotel, Rupununi Eco Hotel, Hotel Toscana and the Amazonas Hotel all benefited from hygiene and sanitation training provided by the GTA. These sessions, also guided by GTA’s Hygiene & Sanitation protocol focused on general COVID-19 guidelines and the best practices involved in cleaning,
hand-washing, mask and PPE use and how to handle emergency situations in the event that a guest is suspected to have or contracted the COVID-19 virus.

The GTA Director, Ms. James reiterated that “the Authority is committed to supporting all tourism businesses to reopen safely by providing training and technical support. This is evident in the heightened awareness and training programmes which lead to 275 persons being trained in
Hygiene and Sanitation alone and a total of 726 persons trained in total for the year 2020 in customer service, social media marketing, first aid, etc”.

These trainings, in addition to the inspection efforts provided by the GTA all support the tourism businesses with their preparation for safe reopening through the 2-step process which entails:

• Submission of Business’s written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to the GTA for a desk review.
• On-site inspection of Businesses to verify the implementation of the SOPs and approval by the GTA.

For more information on the GTA’s training initiatives visit: www.guyanatourism.com or contact Chetnauth Persaud, Training & Tourism Development Officer, at: chetnauth@guyanatourism.com
or Shameza David, Manager of Training & Licensing, at: shameza@guyanatourism.com in the Travel Industry Development Division (TIDD) or call +(592) 219 0055.

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About the Guyana Tourism Authority: The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Guyana through collaboration with sister agencies and the tourism private sector in order to maximise local socio-economic and conservation outcomes and improve the visitors’ experience. The GTA is focused on Guyana becoming recognised locally and internationally as a premier destination for protecting its natural and cultural heritage, providing authentic experiences and maximising local economic benefits. For more information, kindly contact Nicola Balram at nicola@guyanatourism.com or Sade Cameron at: sade@guyanatourism.com at or call (592) 219-0094-6.