Karanambu Lodge & Piraiba Lodge Issued Conditional Approval to Reopen
The new year is off to a great start! The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is happy to announce that Karanambu Lodge and Piraiba Lodge have both been inspected and granted their conditional approval, which is tied to the National COVID-19 measures and GTA’s recommended Hygiene and Sanitation Protocols and can now commence welcoming travellers to their properties. This brings the total to thirteen (13) tourism businesses that have received conditional approval to reopen and are marked as Safe for Travel.
“Our team has been working assiduously with these businesses to ensure that they have all the necessary measures in place to safely reopen, and we will continue to monitor their adherence to all of the stipulated protocols as outlined by the Ministry of Health,” said the Director of the GTA,
Ms. Carla James as she expressed her satisfaction at the consistent pace that businesses have been granted their conditional approvals. She further stated that, “2020 redefined the landscape for travel, creating a new normal, and in 2021 with the advent of a vaccine, we will welcome the opportunity for travellers to visit a safer Guyana.” With this, she believes that 2021 will be a year of tremendous growth for Guyana’s tourism sector as it prepares to significantly bounce back.
Businesses that receive the conditional approval are reminded to maintain the protocols as outlined by the Guyana Tourism Authority and the National Gazetted safety measures. Failure to adhere to these measures will result in the revocation of the conditional approval tied to the COVID-19 measures.
Domestic and international travellers are recommended to use only GTA approved tourism businesses to book and plan their tour activities.
The GTA has increased the number of inspections and training to support tourism businesses with their preparations for safe reopening. As a reminder, this 2-step process 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.
These on-site inspections are conducted by the GTA team with a representative from the Ministry of Health. Given the GTA’s role and procedure, a separate inspection by the Ministry of Health is not required.
For more information on the 2-step conditional approval process for reopening of tourism businesses, persons are asked to contact Micheala Lindore, Tourism Business Support Officer within the GTA at micheala@guyanatourism.com or Carla James, Director of the GTA at carla@guyanatourism.com .
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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 travellers’ 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 socio-economic benefits.