Executive Director of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) Maureen Paul has said that while she believes that there are competent persons serving on the various committees set up to plan the August 2008 Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) scheduled to be held in Guyana the challenge lies in the country’s “in-house capacity to provide a product to the level that will be expected of the largest cultural event of the region”.

Paul hinted that the local CARIFESTA organizers will probably have their work cut out to complete the arrangements for the regional festival within the available time frame.

Guyana agreed to host CARIFESTA 2008 after the original nominee, the Bahamas, indicated that it would have been unable to host the event. The Bahamas is one of the leading tourist destinations in the Caribbean and Paul noted that CARIFESTA would have coincided with that country’s tourist season. “All the major hotels in the region will tell you that the July/August period are usually the peak months for the regional tourist industry.

Paul told Stabroek Business that despite the surfeit of hotels in Guyana prior to last year’s Cricket World Cup, the issue of finding adequate accommodation for the number of persons for the region expected here for the event was an issue that needed to be addressed in good time. She said that while she could not provide any clear idea of the number of persons likely to visit Guyana for CARIFESTA she felt that it was important that the issue of accommodation be addressed at an early stage. Asked whether CARIFESTA may warrant the creation of hospitality homes similar to those put in place for Cricket World Cup last year, Paul said that she was aware that the issue had been raised. She pointed out, however, that she was also aware that some of the hosts of the CWC hospitality homes were unhappy with the way in which the “arrangements” went.