Notable Achievements of Guyana’s Tourism Industry
Despite the ongoing challenges that the tourism sector has been facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guyana has shown great resilience. So, as we wrap up 2021, here are some of the major achievements of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) as we all continue to work towards a safer, stronger, Destination Guyana.
Visitor Arrival Statistics
The reopening of the international borders has resulted in a stark improvement in the visitor arrivals statistics when compared to 2020.
As of September 2021, the total visitor arrival figure stands at 106,428. This reflects a 23% overall increase when compared to 2020. The United States of America recorded the highest arrivals (68%), followed by the Caribbean (16%), and Canada (5%). In 2021, most visitors travelled to Destination Guyana for Holiday (64%), Business (12%), Visiting Friends and Relatives (10%), among other reasons (14%).
So far, Guyana would have contributed a total expenditure of approximately GY$24B to the local economy (up to September 2021) based on the average expenditure per visitor per type at US 1,060. Regardless of this growth, it is important that we maintain the standards that have been developed and adhered to, to win this fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Licensing & Inspections
A consistent level of support is needed by tourism businesses to ensure that the sector continues to recover safely. As such, through the support from the GTA, there has been a marked increase in tourism businesses being licenced.
To date, 15 tour operators, 7 tourism accommodation establishments (hotels, interior lodges/resorts) and 8 tourist guides were licenced by the GTA. Additionally, 56 tourism businesses were granted conditional approvals for reopening. The inspection efforts provided by the GTA supported the tourism businesses with their preparation for a safe reopening through a
2-step process which entailed:
● Submission of the business’ 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 conditional approval by the GTA.
Training & Capacity Building
The GTA continues to work towards strengthening resilience and improving the product offering of the industry and executed key training sessions in areas of Delivering Quality Service, First Aid
& CPR, Culinary Arts, Green Events/Event Planning, Successful Taxi Driver and more importantly Hygiene & Sanitation protocols. A total of 1507 persons have been trained for
2021 in these areas
Most notably, recognising the challenges that communities within the interior regions have faced
in implementing the recommended health, hygiene and sanitation protocols at a business level the GTA the support from Inter-American Development Bank (IDB Lab), Wilderness Explorers (WE) and Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI Global) had embarked on a month-long training session in the Rupununi Region.
This Hygiene & Sanitation Protocols training, as part of the Safe Lodges, Safe Guests & Safe Communities project was updated to reflect CARPHA guidelines, US CDC guidelines, Adventure Travel Trade Association guidelines as well as best practices that the GTA and WE have seen in the Rupununi.
Product Development
Throughout 2021, the Product Development team played a significant role in developing new, safe experiences, not just for the domestic but also the regional and international markets. As a result of extensive product assessment, community outreaches, and of course extensive training opportunities, a record-breaking 7 new tourism experiences have been developed and launched during Tourism Awareness Month, 2021.
The list of experiences are as follows:
● Warapoka
● Santa Aratack Mission
● St Cuthbert’s Mission
● Bimichi Tours
● Taste of Freedom Tour
● Canje Sunset Tours
● Fort Nassau Tours
Doe Park Eco Lodge, East Canje Berbice as well as Warapoka Horo Hanoco, Region 1 and
Bimichi Eco-Lodge, Region 4 were all commissioned during this period.
Innovation & Technological Advancements
This year’s Tourism Awareness Month which was celebrated under the theme Preparing for a New Frontier: Stimulating Innovation within the Tourism Sector reinforced our commitment to successful sustainable tourism development in Guyana while adapting to the new norm and taking advantage of technological advancement. Of the significant initiatives launched in the spirit of innovation, including new products that were developed and launched, the following must be noted:
● The official launch of the Tourist and Tourism Service Provider Apps developed by local technology company V75 Inc. will allow travellers to be updated on the necessary COVID-19 safety protocols, plan their trips with GTA-approved establishments and provide updates on the required health records during travel. This will also allow for effective tracking of a traveller’s history in the unfortunate event of a positive COVID-19 case.
● In this same vein of innovation, the Guyana Tourism Authority has collaborated with the Bureau of Statistics to launch the Digitized Visitor Exit Motivation Survey which will be piloted at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport. This platform will allow the capture of critical travel-related information – the reason for visit, accommodation type,
expenditure, etc.
Donor Funding/Investment Opportunities
● The Village of Moraikobai recently benefitted from donor funding from the British High Commission which assisted with the provision of a solar energy system for the community.
● Government of Guyana: Request for Proposals – Eco-lodges and Resorts: The GoG invites all persons interested in this development to submit their proposals in accordance with this RFP. The GoG is prepared to offer attractive incentives for the development of the eco-lodge and resort industry, including fiscal incentives.
Marketing/International Recognition
One thing remains sure, through the marketing efforts of the GTA and other tourism stakeholders, Destination Guyana will continue to be recognised, even on the international playing field. Of the most significant recognitions of 2021, the following must be noted:
● Destination Guyana received a number of international features, some of which include the following:
– 9 Sustainable Experiences in Latin America for 2021 – Wanderlust Mag
– Top 20 destinations to visit in 2021 – Condé Nast Traveler
– Community-led and owned Tourism: How Guyana’s own brand of sustainable destination management is helping indigenous communities thrive – WTM Hub
– FORBES’ Top 50 Best Places to Visit Post Pandemic – Forbes
● Destination Guyana has also [once again] secured first place at the International “Golden
City Gate” Award for a video contributed in the category “Stay Safe”.
● Rewa’s Good Practice Story has been selected as part of the 2021 Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories with the story: “Preservation of Natural and Built Cultural Heritage in Rewa Through the Community Led and Owned Tourism Framework”. [Every year the Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories competition collects sustainable tourism stories and good practices from destinations all over the world to be shared as inspiring examples to others, from tourism professionals to travellers.]
● Lucy Shepherd completed the Kanuku Mountains expedition with expert Indigenous guides. This accomplishment was featured in a number of international media platforms, including the Daily Mail.
● Social Media Campaigns – the Guyana Tourism Authority collaborated with A Wild Connection to produce a number of social media campaigns such as GUYANA – An Adventure in Birding with James Currie; Giants of the Savannah as well as more recently Giants on the River which focuses on the Giant River Otters within the Rupununi region.
● The Guyana Tourism Authority also coordinated the filming initiatives of 7 international film companies who visited Guyana to produce video content for their international audience.
The Director (ag.) of the Guyana Tourism Authority – Mr Kamrul Baksh, remarking on the achievements of the authority this year indicated that:
“The way things have panned out since the start of the global health pandemic has had a
tremendous effect on the sector. With the shutdown, lasting many months, it was imperative to craft a way forward, and with the remarkable strengthen shown by stakeholders, and ably supported by government programmes, the tourism sector has made significant strides in the journey towards recovery. Just take a look at the visitor arrival statistics, the number of businesses that have been licensed and conditionally approved and the significant level of international recognition that the country has gained… the impact of our work at the authority is tremendous and we will continue to do what’s necessary for our sector, including advocating for the Government of Guyana’s vaccination policy.”
He further expressed that, “In 2022, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry & Commerce through the Guyana Tourism Authority will continue to seek a consistent level of collaboration with other Governmental ministries and agencies to ensure that tourism development in Guyana continues to strive in the field of tourism. New tourism circuits will be functional at the end of the new year, and more high-quality experiential tourism products will be readily available for travellers across the spectrum. We will also be prioritising digital marketing opportunities with renewed partnerships with international marketing firms, airlines, tour operators and others.”
For more information, please contact Sade Cameron, Marketing & Communications Officer at
sade@guyanatourism.com or call 219-0093-6.
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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.