The declining fortunes of the gold industry may be a source of concern for Bartica but that is not to say that as far as enterprise is concerned the community is not weighing its options.
Visitors utilize Bartica as a kind of thoroughfare, a gateway to the interior, their interest being primarily in a ‘gold rush’ that has now slowed to a crawl. That has to change if Bartica is to survive.
One gets the impression that the small business community that has – in one way or another – made most of its money out of gold is focused on diversification. The Bartica Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been resuscitated and the thrust of its longer-term business plan appears to revolve around sustaining Bartica’s visitor popularity derived from its role as a gateway to the interior.
A recent visit to Bartica revealed that there are at least 20 hotels and guest houses in the community.
