Dear Editor,
My husband and I went on a holiday to the US and I had to return home earlier than planned as I became ill. We arrived at the CJA airport at 10.15pm on the night of Saturday, July 5, minus our luggage; we were told it was on the next flight which was due in ½ an hour so we decided to wait. It wasn’t on this flight nor was it on the one which came 20 minutes later. By this time my 79-year-old confused husband was getting agitated, and wanted me to go and look for all sorts of people to whom to complain. I did my best to pacify him, then the luggage came at midnight, by which time I was feeling sleepy and dizzy from the medication I had taken earlier in the day with little or no sleep. My stress levels rose and I felt very ill as though I would pass out at any minute, but realising my husband would be lost without me around I resisted the feeling; however, I asked three uniformed airport staff who were standing around chatting for a drink of water,and I was told there was none. The officials whom I approached told us to go outside, then they wanted my confused husband to go across the compound in the dark to the restaurant. I couldn’t let him go as I knew he would get lost, and I couldn’t go as I felt I would have fainted on the way. Eventually a taxi-driver got me some water which revived me a little. I went back inside and complained that I was ashamed of the treatment to me, a wheelchair passenger, (actually we both were) who could have died for lack of care. I even mentioned I had to cut short my trip because of illness and asked for a First Aider, but they didn’t seem to be much bothered.
I cannot recall what happened next; I don’t know if I fainted but the next thing I remember was someone coming and wheeling me out and taking care of us and our luggage.
Thank God the taxi-driver was very caring and took us home safely and saw us ok before he left.
If this is the sort of welcome and treatment visitors to this country for Carifesta will get, I would urge them to stay away if I were asked for advice. I feel all the airport staff should be trained in first aid and customer care and be encouraged to show concern for travellers, as many are tired and stressed out at the end of a long, tedious journey, and ill health added to that can be very unpleasant.
From my experience since living in this country for the last 7 years I don’t expect anything to come of this – not even an acknowledgement or apology – but I would hope that someone would consider the welfare of travellers and educate/train the staff to be more alert to the needs of fellow human beings and not to treat them like cattle, but like their own relatives.
Yours faithfully,
Lorna Collins
This is the same treatment “potential tourists” will be welcomed with.
The minister keeps talking of tourism, but there is never any concrete steps to remedy the infractions currently taking place.
If anyone believes this regime is serious about tourism, think again.
This is the welcome to Guyana treatment!
When i was selected to do security for American Airlines,we had to undergo a one week course at their Academy in Texas, then we were allowed to work on their planes operating out of J.F.K airport,we learned a lot in terms of security,first aid,customer service and many more,in Guyana it’s the opposite.The government is given so much advice,recommendations, on how to improve their system, some people are willing to go back and help but are ignored.
This is an excellent suggestion, a course in First aid, passenger management etc… the courses should be certified by IATA
The customs agents and personnel at North American and European airports are curt. Yet, I don’t hear anyone complaining about their approach.
The airport staff at the caricom countries is also abrupt… Trinidad, Barbados, ect.
All countries you mentioned have established tourism products.
Guyana on the other hand has none. So where do you think the tourists will go?
Get real.
i guess you also want dinner and a bed.
I sympathise with Lorna Collins. Nothing changes. Something is wrong with Guyanese mentality. Shabby condition best describes the Airport, it has been so for a very long time and it will continue to be so. A lot of Guyanese eateries in USA follow the same pattern, never up to standards. A lot of us talk about progress in Guyana and yet the basic amenities are not there. The tourists will avoid Guyana. they go to the Caribbean where standards are very high.Management is a lost idea, from the Head of State, an ad-hoc pick up, puerile and arrogant to the ministers who lack intuition.
Totally agree. More and more I see these lackadaisical workers at the forefront where visitors have the first impression of Guyana.
They are poorly trained or have no training whatsoever dealing with visitors.
There is no welcome to Guyana salutation or even a good morning.
It’s really a shame. The non existent tourism industry will surely never get off the ground.
….. any ,, all journeys,, whether by plane ,, train ,, bus or car is an event laden with stress,,,fitness of psycho-physio,, is absolutely necessary when in preparation
for it,,, having hardly stopped since i started in 1965 ,,— and am the holder of my 6th p/port ,, all filled with stamps not expired — to many places on the planet ,,
i have always been of the view that only those who have been in an a/craft knows first hand the stress endured from the going to the a/port to the leaving it ,, after arrival ,, especially now since after ,, 9/11,,,,,, those whose job it is to provide us with the many services required at anya/port should be intimate with the intricacies of the stress by the flying public and merely out of humane concern be more accommodating to help to relieve this uncalled for harrassment at many airports in the c’bean……………….
if i were to chronicle my experiences ,, it would be clear why education of a/port employees as is in this case be mandatory…………………
No.. YOU get real!
I am quite sure you’re not as vocal when customs at Pearson International Airport process you in a rough manner.