Dear Editor,
Mr Chumandat Persaud, please make me an exception in concluding that Ms Maureen Paul, the former head of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana has a vendetta against the tourism sector (‘Guyana’s Tourism Sector is now developing,’ GC 23.9.08).
Guyana will definitely continue to be one of the most extraordinary eco-tourism destinations in this part of the globe; I will forever continue my advocacy privately for this sector via tourism literature, but the fact remains that it’s getting harder to convince potential visitors to head this way, and the local issues which are very obvious to the eye are contributing to the ratings continuing to slide. I have always maintained that image and transformation along with spending money to make money are vital components towards improvement and success. China is one good example from what I have seen during the 2008 Olympics.
Travel advisories on the other hand, are a major factor, and I do respect the fact that countries have the right to protect their citizens from getting in harm’s way. Not so long ago I read that a Canadian citizen was robbed, and just recently a US Peace Corps Volunteer was attacked in the city and again, these are issues that will be considered when advisories are contemplated.
It is my belief that Mr Chumandat Persaud’s source of information misinformed him terribly. From which part of the globe were thousands scrambling to get into Guyana during the just concluded regional festival?
Yours faithfully,
T Pemberton
Forget tourism.
Get the nation on the thriving beneficial way, then all will readily come to seee
and spend their tourist dollars.
There is no safety.
Security is lax.
Bribery and corruption are rampant;
Who would be interested in those?
I have said many a time that Guyana should not bother itself with tourism.
Better would be to improve the lot of the people, make them prosperous,
and presto the crowd would come in droves.
Carl:
I agree with you totally. Not even Guyanese expatriates are interested in returning to the land of their birth for a visit for fear of being killed, robbed or anything else in between; and I will not be encouraging any of my friends, family or associates to visit anytime soon.
Speak for yourself, we can get enough time to visit this slice of heaven.
My Mother was born and raised in Mahaica, as were many generations before her. She emigrated to the UK when she was in her early twenties. I’ve been back to Guyana quite a few times when I was much younger, between the ages 9-15. But now I am older and have my own family I would dearly love to visit my heritage and show my wife and children the beauty of Guyana, as my mother had shown me. But given these troubled times, the economy and uncertainty for ones safety I feel I can not take the risk.
RM.
Ray you stay there in UK where there are no crimes…ehehehehehe
The main problem that’ll contribute to the decline of visitors to Guyana is the cost of airfare…(tickets are extremely expensive; to the point that one is better off visiting local states and using the telephone to communicate with there relatives and friends back home) If we could handle this issue along with crime, more relaxing facilities and better medical care… I guarantee there will be more folks willing to visit. Also the newspapers don’t help either…there’s always so much negatives written and hardly any positives… (When we as Guyanese invite our friends who are sometimes Americans, the first piece of info (aside from word of mouth) they rely on is the papers…and lord only knows the effect reading the chronicle or stabroek could have on a total stranger whose never visited.) I strongly believe tourism will help! But we must first work on the safety factors that plague Guyana. Nobody wants to come to a county where theirs now security and the medical system sucks. I travel to Guyana almost every December and I sometimes try to get co-workers and friends to come along on the trip, however due to the rampant crime factor and lack of basic necessities no one wants to take a chance. Another issue at hand is the fact that there is nothing to do there…There’s like 10 hangout spots in Guyana!! (Why leave here…? where in only one state there’s like hundreds of things to do!) I swear the only reason I pay the airfare and endure the boringness is because I need to be with my love ones. If it wasn’t for that…I’d be in Florida or California for the winter months!! It’s such a shame because I for one am very proud to be Guyanese-American… but lately there’s so little to be proud of. Let us work on the some of our issues and then focus on tourism!
Parris
10/01
I concur Ms. Parris…ticket prices are outrageously expensive along with the all the hassle one have to put up with at the Airports both in Guyana and the US. Added to all this aggravation is weight restriction imposed on travelers but I for one won’t be deter no, I won’t. However, I do think the current state of the US economy and the decline in the various financial markets will negatively impact the Caribbean islands, especially those countries that depend a great deal on tourisms to boost their economy; the affects will be felt more so, as the holiday season approaches.
I myself feel the same way, i have relatives in guyana and reading the news i get scared, that if i go to guyana, if i will be robbed or killed because the people think that i come with a million u.s dollars with me. i went home several times and everything was ok, but still you don’t know when it’s your time to be robbed.
well you got to let dem think you coming wid half a million US dollaz then dem gon leave you alone….do like me…i went in a jewel store..as soon as the sales girl spot me…she said ” mr you looking at the 10 thousand dollar and up section yuh kno” because of my dress code…dressed like a begger…eheheheh…then i begged her to just me me see one little diamond ring in de show case…she rolled over her eye-balls several times..so i begged her on my knees…she then decided to let me touch it….and i bought it all cash for one hundred fifty thousand dollaz for my beautiful wife…perfect fit for her…her eve-balls start rotating back to normal…then she had to nerves to tell me ” well yuh know weh i woking and yuh can come and take me out anytime yuh want” honestly I told her that she aint qualified for the mattress…….took my ring and walked out…..never to return there ever again…..let her and them think yuh very poor wen yuh go home…some people go home to show their treasures they earned from overseas…..
You are exposed to the same risks in the good ole USA.
sorry to burst your bubbles guys but if it is so hard to convince people to come to guyana, why is it such a hassle to get flights to guyana during the holidays?
Note your words “during the holidays?”
I am waiting for the day when I can safely take my bamboo fishing rods and go fishing in the backdam trenches. I still think it is dangerous to venture in such an area for a spot of fishing. Visiting Guyana will only be lovely for me when I am permitted to freely move aroung the country without having to be alert to lurking dangers that threatens my physical integrity. There is enough of that in my day to day life, I just want to go to Guyana to relax and have a time away from all this. Since I will have to abide with the same situation in Guyana, I often choose to spend my vacation in countries that offer relative security for its inhabitants and visitors. I think that every time I go to Guyana, I am risking my life and that of my family. Sad to say this, I know, but after visiting Guyana I feel relieved to to be back where I am safe and sound. Many share my views, some would not even contemplate visiting Guyana. I carry hopes of returning to reside permanently in Guyana some time in the future. I do miss those backdam trenches!
Guyana’s real tourism product isn’t Georgetown or any other semi-urban areas along the coast…but if that attracts you even better.
The real tourism product is in the interior…Kaieteur falls, the Rupununi Savannahs, Iwokrama etc. that’s what we need to advertise and sell. These are the things people would come to Guyana to see.
The sad thing is that the majority of Guyanese themselves have never seen these places and don’t’ know the REAL potential there.
The tremendous crime problems in inner-city Kingston don’t stop people from going to Ocho Rios.
I agree with you 100%, just got back in early September, my first trip back since 1988. I took my wife (she is American) and kids. Everyone had a wonderful time. My recommendation is NOT stay with relatives, stay in a good hotel and travel to some of the resorts/places. Treat this trip as you would when visiting any other country. Went to Ochie, JA, last year police trucks had follow the tour buses around.
My family had reservations about visiting GT, mainly because of how some of our fellow Guyanese “talk down” our country. Honestly, without boring you with the details, my entire family may had a wonderful time!
If I can share a story from our taxi man, uncle Jesse, most of dem people visiting wan stay by family and don’t see de place and if you know it does cause dem mo $$$.
Quibian:
Yo did not burst anyone’s bubble, all you did was miss the real point and that is even the airlines are reluctant to commit to Guyanese routes. The result is, therefore, a few airlines to service the many brave hearts who are willing to risk their lives by venturing into the Guyana killing/robbing fields at Christmas. Wake up and face reality; Guyana as it is now will never attract tourists (in the true sense of the word). There will, however, be Guyanese who will venture back home (these are not tourists in the true sense of the word but are returning short-term stay residents). Try that on for size.
richard you just contradicted yourself. “a few airlines to service the many brave hearts.” i am not talking about christmas alone. this past august i wanted to go back home but could not get a flight.