The Minister of Tourism Manniram Prashad yesterday met with members of the business community to ask them to take steps to beautify the capital city in preparation for Carifesta.

He said that a ‘light-up’ committee had been formed which had been tasked with lighting up Main Street, and which he thought could serve as a good precedent.

However, the minister urged the business community to take steps themselves to light up their premises.
He said that Georgetown and its environs possessed genuine architectural wonders whose embellishment could have an enriching influence on the hosting of Carifesta and the enhancement of the Guyana Tourism Product.

Prashad told the business community that like Cricket World Cup, Carifesta would see a significant tourist influx into the country, and during their ten-day stay visitors would spend substantially in the domestic economy.
Moreover, he said, like Cricket World Cup too, Carifesta could persuade members of the Guyanese diaspora to return, and these in turn might contemplate investment in their native land which would redound to the benefit of the Guyana economy. 

The minister observed that much energy and effort had gone into the preparations for the hosting of Carifesta and thus all stakeholders needed to come on board to make the festival a success.

He also took the opportunity to brief members of the business community – mainly from Georgetown – of developments in the tourism industry, for instance Guyana’s status as a prime birding site.

The minister, in addition, entreated business entities to host tourism oriented tours for employees which would be educational for staff while at the same time boosting the tourism sector.