20.I.1.1 The economies of other countries, that are similar to Guyana, have been transformed in short order by tourism. Travel and tourism are on the brink of becoming the world's largest single industry. Worldwide, tourism receipts are projected to grow by anything from 3 percent to 6 percent annually for the next ten years.

20.I.1.2 The overall benefit of tourism is that most of the steps, which a developing country needs to take in order to improve its standard of living, are exactly those which are required to develop tourism within a country. Some of the benefits of tourism are:

1. the provision of a larger tax base;

2. the generation of foreign exchange;

3. the creation of a significant number of new job opportunities;

4. the promotion of rural and interior development; and

5. human resources development

20.I.1.3 Tourism is not simply an attempt to save the environment; it is also an important opportunity for Guyana’s economic development. Properly managed, it is a non-depleting, non-consumptive industry that provides ever-increasing economic benefits in a sustainable manner.

20.I.1.4 The main distinguishing feature of the current Guyana visitor profile is a relatively high proportion of business visitors and persons visiting friends and relatives. These two categories, together with international volunteers, currently make up over 95 percent of all visitors to Guyana. Moreover, the total number of visitors to Guyana, a little more than 100,000 annually, is small compared to those who go to other tourist destinations. The potential for growth is, however, large.

20.I.1.5 The peak season for northern visitors to Guyana is in the winter months.

20.I.2.1 Tourism takes diverse forms, each with a special appeal to a particular class of tourist, and with its own implications for the country’s infrastructure and the revenue which it can generate. Before any real and meaningful development of tourism in Guyana can take place it is necessary to have an understanding of the type of tourism products that are both suited to and suitable for Guyana.

20.I.2.2 Nature-based tourism can itself be advantageous to Guyana because it endeavors to respect the natural environment and the different cultures of a society. It is a type of tourism which tends to concentrate on small numbers of tourists paying relatively high prices, thus maximizing the economic benefits to the country, while minimizing those negative effects on the environment and society that are generally associated with traditional or mass tourism.

20.I.2.3 Adventure tourism is another rapidly growing segment of the global tourism market. Adventure tourism is characterized by activities such as observing animals in the wild, whitewater rafting, rock climbing and mountain biking. Recent changes in modern tastes and lifestyles have made these types of holidays extremely popular, and with Guyana’s undeveloped interior, there is enormous scope for the development of such a product.

20.I.2.4 Multi-destination tourism might also be of much benefit to our country. This is a growing segment of the tourism industry, as more holiday makers appear to be eager to spend more money and to travel farther, they have become very amenable to visiting two or more countries at a time. Given Guyana’s distance from its main markets of Europe and America and its proximity to the Caribbean, joint destination packages could be very beneficial for us.

20.I.2.5 Heritage and cultural tourism can promote a number of Guyana's sites both for their historical and architectural value. Sites suitable for this type of tourism include Georgetown, Fort Island, Magdelenburg and Kyk-Over-Al. Amerindian, African, and Indian culture are also of potential interest to tourists. However, at the same time, it is important to protect these cultures and communities, particularly the Amerindian communities, from the negative impact which tourism can have on their traditional ways of life.

20.I.2.6 Cruise Ship Eco-Tourists. Cruise ship tourism of the wrong kind can destroy the very values that Guyana is trying to sell. It cannot be too strongly emphasised, therefore, that this type of tourism should be carefully monitored and controlled in order to ensure that the detrimental effects of mass tourism do not occur. Accordingly, what should be encouraged are cruise ship passengers who come here specifically as eco-tourists.

20.I.2.7 Eco-tourism, which has been defined as a form of travel for pleasure that is focussed on the natural and cultural environment, represents a very small but expanding niche market. It is designed to have a low impact on the environment, give the visitor a better understanding of the unique qualities of the place being visited, contribute to the well-being of the local population, and promote conservation.

20.I.2.8 Guyana is ideally placed to take advantage of eco-tourism, which is currently the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry, because of two basic comparative advantages. First, the diversity of Guyana’s flora and fauna, its virgin rainforests and its vast array of waterfalls, rivers and creeks; and second, the fact that Guyana is the only English-speaking country in the South American Amazon Basin.

20.I.2.9 If Guyana is serious about eco-tourism it needs to embrace overarching environmental policies and ethics and promote genuine indigenous culture so as not to be perceived as fake.

20.II.1 The income which Costa Rica generates from its 2 million hectares of protected areas is as much as Guyana’s GNP. While Guyana cannot expect to attain, within the foreseeable future, such high levels of revenue from tourism alone, it is more than feasible that the sector can, within 10 years, contribute 5 to 10 percent of the country’s expanding GNP, provided that the right policies and incentive structures are put in place.

20.II.2 The creation of a Protected Area System, or at the very least, the according of special status to areas known to possess unique natural characteristics, is fundamental to the development of tourism.

20.II.3 Guyana will never overcome the antipathies of the environmentalists and the potential eco-tourist while it remains the only country on this continent without an effective national protected area system. Our country has the potential to establish a comprehensive, ecologically representative protected area network in a supportive matrix of well-managed forests and other ecosystems. A significant level of eco-tourism development is unlikely to occur unless Guyana becomes known as a country where high standards of environmental stewardship are applied to all aspects of its natural resource utilisation and management.

20.II.4 Marketing is the mainstay of tourism anywhere in the world. Guyana’s lack of an image as a tourism destination, coupled with its failure to formulate and implement a serious public relations and marketing campaign for the country, are possibly the biggest obstacles to the development of tourism. Guyana needs to realize that marketing is a business and cannot be accomplished by amateurs in its embassies. In any event, the country does not have embassies and consulates in most of the major target cities. Professional representation in the markets that Guyana wishes to attract, with the necessary financial resources, is therefore vital. In addition, there should be adequate expenditure on advertising in all the media. It should also be appreciated that tourism is an export industry and should therefore be eligible for the benefits normally afforded to other export sectors.

20.II.5 In Guyana, the involvement and support of Amerindian communities and other people living in the hinterland is essential for the development of an effective park system that can significantly attract and support tourism. The level of this involvement should include planning and policy-making at the national and local levels. It is equally necessary that social partnerships are encouraged between Amerindians and private investors, and that Amerindian communities have access to capital to foster their own direct involvement in the industry.

20.II.6 Tourism presents Amerindians with an opportunity to build an indigenous industry which is labour intensive and would benefit local communities. Tourist agencies and the National Protected Areas System when it is established could involve Amerindians in their eco-tourism activities. Amerindians could be trained as park rangers and guides, since they have an unrivaled knowledge of the local terrain and its natural resources. Further, they are more likely to remain in these areas in the long-term than the average coastlander.

20.II.7 On the other hand, jobs linked to eco-tourism could be seasonal and subject to world economic conditions. While eco-tourism is meant to be small in scale, it has the potential to make local communities, which are more likely to suffer from a decline in the tourism sector than the country as a whole, too dependent upon it. In addition, eco-tourism has the potential of attracting productive labour from small communities that depend upon agriculture and other primary activities.

20.II.8 The influence of foreign cultures may also impact upon communities in such a way that traditional values may be lost. Moreover, the commercialization of culture can lead to the development of a pseudo-culture and folklore that have been specially devised for tourists, the alteration of traditional crafts because of commercial pressures, and the replacement of traditional handicrafts by less authentic but more saleable souvenirs.

20.II.9 Before tourism can benefit Amerindians, therefore, there must be fundamental institutional strengthening. This requires a participatory approach that must be applied through direct discussion, education and practical training programmes. Amerindian groups should also be empowered financially and otherwise, to start their own tourist ventures in a small and manageable way.

20.II.10 The development of tourism cannot be considered in vacuo. It must be accompanied, for example, by the provision of easier access to Guyana and its interior, and by the improvement of all types of transport infrastructure, water systems and medical services. It must be supplemented by the provision of adequate security. It must be underpinned by simpler and rational procedures for obtaining permits to travel into the interior and for obtaining visas.

20.II.11 Areas in which standards and regulations are urgently needed include those for licensing tour operators, for building eco-tourist resorts, and for customer servers and services such as taxi and boat drivers, and hotels and restaurants.

20.II.12 Policies that protect the environment and promote safety must be accompanied by policies that could attract investment. The Guyanese tourism industry is currently considered to be a high-risk business by investors and bankers because of the multiple problems which exist in the country. In addition to the financial risks normally associated with tourism itself, there are problems peculiar to Guyana: the country’s democracy is considered to be fragile; the investment climate is uncertain; and Guyana is still an emerging tourist market.

20.II.13 The behavior of tourists can be an important issue. Tourists should not only be educated about their responsibilities to the environment, they should also be educated about the environment. It is therefore useful for citizens of a host country or region to recognize the elements of the natural environment that may be of interest to the visitor.

20.II.14 Local people also need to be educated on the potential impacts of receiving tourists as well as the expectations of such visitors. An informed and trained citizenry is the backbone of any successful development process.

20.II.15 The lack of skilled staff for the tourism industry is another major constraint to its development. The design and implementation of a programme to upgrade the skills of personnel in the sector are therefore imperative.

20.II.16 At present, Government regulations and support services for the tourism industry are provided through the Tourism Division in the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry. The Division is understaffed and lacks the internal systems and structures for the smooth facilitation of programmes and activities required for its work. It is affected by many of the same ailments that are prevalent in other Government departments, such as a shortage of skills, a lack of facilities and no legal mandate to perform many of the functions that are required.

20.II.17 There is a proposal for the institutional arrangements for tourism to be placed under a Minister responsible for Environment, Protected Areas and Amerindian Affairs. However, while there is merit in linking protected areas and tourism under a general environment ministry, Amerindian Affairs which involves a much wider range of issues, probably justifies having a separate Ministry.

20.III.1 The broad objective of the sector is to contribute to the sustainable development of Guyana by earning foreign exchange and providing job opportunities, while conserving the natural environment and the multi-faceted culture of the country.

20.III.2 To achieve this overall objective, a number of specific objectives can be defined.

20.IV.1 The central thrust of these new policies for tourism is a focused and unambiguous strategy of pursuing high quality, up-market eco-tourism in controlled numbers that do not exceed scientifically determined carrying capacities of interior sites. All other policies should flow from this central thrust.

20.IV.2.1 Tourism is currently part of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry. Unfortunately, the range of the portfolio of this Ministry is so wide, and trade and industry so important in the developmental strategy of our economy, that tourism is often not given the attention it deserves. Since the future of tourism will be heavily dependent on the protection and sustainable development of the environment, a Ministry of Tourism and Environment will be established.

20.IV.3.1 A National Tourism Board or Authority will be established. This will replace the defunct Tourism Advisory Board. Its main responsibilities would be regulation, marketing, research and product development. The Authority will be established by an act of parliament as a body corporate.

20.IV.3.2 The composition of the Authority is critical for its success. It will therefore be composed as follows: the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Environment; The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Regional Affairs; two persons from the Tourism & Hospitality Association; one person from the Private Sector Commission; one person from the Private Aircraft Owners Association; and one person from an Amerindian NGO.

20.IV.3.3 The Chairman of the Authority will be elected by the board members of the Authority and appointed by the Minister. Membership of the board will be for a period not exceeding two years.

20.IV.3.4 The Authority will be funded from contributions of both the private sector and the Government by way of a formula to be agreed upon by the parties concerned.

20.IV.4.1 The according of special status to areas known to possess unique natural characteristics is fundamental to the development of tourism in Guyana. Therefore the work which has already begun to establish a Protected Area System will be expeditiously concluded.

20.IV.4.2 It is important that certain criteria, including definitions for the carrying capacity and guidelines for visitation, be established for each protected area in the interest of tourism. Among the guidelines for visitation will be specifications regarding the length of stay of visitors, requirements for trained guides, the means of access to protected areas, controls on the removal of flora and fauna and the taking of pictures, access by individuals or groups, etc. Within the park itself, in order to protect the area’s biodiversity, there may be areas in which absolutely no one is allowed to go.

20.IV.5.1 Amerindian communities will of course decide for themselves if nature-based and eco-tourism ventures are worthy of their involvement and participation, on a project-by-project basis. However, in the process of developing the tourism industry, efforts will be made to ensure that Amerindians are involved at all levels.

20.IV.5.2 Tourism activities will be started at a slow and measured pace in Amerindian communities so as not to overwhelm local capacity and result in an increase in social stresses.

20.IV.5.3 Because of the limited experience which Amerindians have with development projects, those tourism ventures that are to be started and managed by Amerindians will be accompanied by: intensive and extensive training of Amerindians in business management, and account-keeping; start-up capital; the encouragement of partnerships among Amerindians, investors and nature and conservation NGO's in developing tourism sites; and continuous information sharing and consultation with Amerindians.

20.IV.5.4 Non-governmental organisations will be encouraged to assist in all these endeavours.

20.IV.5.5 Guidelines will be provided and enforced in respect of tour operators entering Amerindian communities.

20.IV.5.6 An overall code of conduct will be developed between tour operators and the Amerindians. Such a code will provide rules, for example, concerning the taking of photographs, access to sacred sites, and times of visiting. Amerindian communities may develop stricter codes.

20.IV.5.7 The collection of head fees by Amerindian communities will be legislated, and the responsibility for this placed within the proposed Board of Tourism.

20.IV.6.1 An incentive regime will be introduced that will endeavour to make the industry attractive to investors. The regime will compare favorably with those of other countries which are developing tourism and will offer no less that the following:

20.IV.7.1 The strategies for liberalising activities in the air transport sector, and for attracting investment to it, are outlined in the Transport Chapter of this National Development Strategy.

20.IV.7.2 The Tourism strategy is dependent upon the development of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri to meet international requirements. Other key imperatives are:

•  the redevelopment of Ogle as a municipal airport; and
•  an airstrip, as a complement of the road system, will be immediately developed to the West of Kurupukari.

20.IV.8.1 The security of visitors will be given priority throughout Guyana and steps to this end will include raising awareness among the local population as well as within the security forces. Training on interactions with tourists will be provided to the police force. In the long run, consideration will be given to the development of a division of police within the force who are specifically responsible for visitor security.

20.IV.8.2 Search and rescue mechanisms will be put in place with the capability of dealing with all eventualities, and will include high-level detection methods, fast and effective evacuation procedures and top level medical training and equipment. This will be facilitated by an established mechanism between the Private Sector, the Government, the police and the army.

20.IV.8.3 Tour operators will be obliged by law to possess adequate safety equipment for the tours they conduct.

20.IV.8.4 Training in first aid and CPR will be mandatory for all persons/guides conducting or in charge of tourists, and adequate emergency evacuation plans and procedures will be set for all tour operations and resorts. These safety procedures and equipment will be linked to the licensing of these operations. Failure to comply with the minimum safety standards set for the industry will carry severe penalties.

20.IV.8.5 Adequate insurance for all resorts, hotels, charter airlines and tour operations will be made mandatory and linked to the licensing of tourism operations. In order to facilitate this, the laws pertaining to insurance will be amended to give the tourism industry access to adequate levels of insurance.

20.IV.9.1 A comprehensive destination-marketing plan will be developed and implemented to allow the country to benefit from the rapidly expanding market for adventure and nature tourism.

20.IV.9.2 One of the many functions of the Guyana Tourism Authority will be the marketing of Guyana as a tourism destination.

20.IV.9.3 The Tourism Authority will handle two types of promotional activities: on-shore and off-shore. For onshore promotions, the Tourism Authority will organize group familiarization tours and other promotional functions. For offshore promotions the Tourism Authority’s representatives in the major target cities will establish contacts with international travel industry partners and combine efforts to promote Guyana in the major markets of the world. In addition, the Tourism Authority will participate in trade shows and promotions that are best suited for the target markets.

20.IV.9.4 The Tourism Authority will conduct a series of seminars with the operators of qualified tourist facilities to assist in developing and improving the performance of the tourism industry.

20.IV.9.5 A tourism accreditation system will be established and implemented by the Tourism Authority and minimum design criteria will be established to ensure that nature-based tourism facilities in Guyana meet international standards for visitor accommodation. The design criteria will emphasize low impact structures, appropriate use of local materials, and proper response to the local climate in order to maximize efficiency.

20.IV.9.6 The urban zoning laws for which provision is made elsewhere in this NDS will be strictly enforced.

20.IV.9.7 Guidelines will be developed to mandate buffer zones around lodges, the distance between lodges, etc.

20.IV.9.8 A project to list all those sites in the interior that have been identified as desirable areas for the development of lodges will be formulated and implemented.

Kaieteur Park

20.IV.10.1 The boundaries of the Kaieteur National Park will be determined as a matter of urgency. Consultative mechanisms for incorporating representatives of local Amerindian groups in the decision-making process concerning the site will be developed.

20.IV.10.2 All mining in the Kaieteur watershed and gorge below the falls will be immediately stopped.

20.IV.10.3 A comprehensive site and topography survey that will embrace the testing of soils and their bearing capacities, the examination of watershed characteristics, the location of significant site features, including types of flora and fauna and other biodiversity richness, and studies to determine any significant archaeological sites, will be undertaken.

20.IV.10.4 The OAS proposal for the Kaieteur National Park will be opened for private sector, Amerindian and other civil society comment before its finalization and implementation. Key recommendations include the following:

• A lodge facility will be constructed in the Kaieteur Park.

• The trail system in the Park will be extended.

• A boardwalk will be constructed in the Falls area.

• Ranger outposts and satellite camping facilities will be created.

• Razing of Menzies Landing and construction of security post.

20.IV.11.1 Eco-tourism ventures, with full Amerindian participation in identified Amerindian villages, will be developed.

20.IV.11.2 A network of small-scale eco-tourism lodges will be established at Kaieteur, Chenapau, Orinduik and near Marabiakru Cliffs.

20.IV.11.3 An eco-tourism facility will be established at the Iwokrama Field Station near Kurupukari. This will be operated in partnership with the local private sector and with Amerindian community controlled ventures, in and around the Iwokrama reserve.

20.IV.11.4 A circuit of eco-tourism facilities and activities will be put in place in and around Annai and Surama with linkages to Rock View and Karanambu Resorts in the North Rupununi.

20.IV.11.5 In the Central and South Rupununi nature-based and eco-tourism ventures will be developed with Dadanawa Ranch, Savannah Inn, the Lethem Rodeo and other related enterprises, ranches, resorts and entities.

20.IV.11.6 The border near Orinduik will be secured in order to prevent illegal incursions from miners who operate in Potaro and Mazaruni watersheds.

20.IV.11.7 Strict zoning and building codes will be enforced in Georgetown. New buildings in the city will be made to conform to Georgetown’s rich architectural heritage. Sections of the city represent significant opportunities for architectural preservation and the development of tourism sites. It is important therefore that building in the city be very carefully regulated and monitored to preserve the product before it is completely devastated by new developments.

20.IV.11.8 Investors will be encouraged through tax incentives to develop small-scale inns in the style of the existing historic architecture of Georgetown.

20.IV.11.9 The Botanical Gardens will be converted into a Biodiversity Park.

20.IV.11.10 The National Museum, the Walter Roth Museum and the Nicholson Collection of African Art will be refurbished and expanded and a survey to upgrade and develop a network of other existing museums in Guyana undertaken.