While not getting into the specifics, Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Industry Oneidge Walrond says affordability should no longer be an excuse for locals to explore their country and enjoy domestic tourism.
She made the remarks during an interview with INews following a visit to the Cinderella County of Essequibo, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) to visit some of the tourism hotspots there.
Among the places explored include Lake Mainstay, Lake Capoey, Lake Tapakuma, Adel’s Resort, and a boat ride down the Pomeroon River. There are other famous attractions along the Essequibo Coast which the team did not get to visit including Mashabo Lake and the popular Jagdesh Duck Curry Restaurant.
While not making reference to any tourist location in particular, Minister Walrond contended that many places are affordable as she encouraged Guyanese to support local tourism.
“We as Guyanese have ought to find the tremendous values that foreigners find in our tourism products, in coming out to resorts like these where it’s so peaceful, tranquil. Experience the farm, the flora and fauna, the birds and enjoying nature,” she expressed.
“Foreigners find such value in it, they pay tremendous amounts of money to come to experience these kinds of things, especially those that live in big cities and don’t have access all these species of birds that we do and we take it for granted.”
Minister Walrond lamented that many citizens prefer to spend their money to go overseas for a vacation, when they can do so right in Guyana.
“Some of the tour packages, most of them are below $40,000 a person, and I often say that Guyanese are willing to pay for a visa application to America, which is $40,000 and that doesn’t even guarantee you access to America, it just gives you a chance of getting into the United States,” she posited.
“They do that at a tremendous sacrifice, these same people who are complaining about the cost of travelling around Guyana, because they see value in going to America,” the Tourism Minister added.
Nevertheless, making local tourism more affordable to Guyanese, she admitted, is a work in progress.
“The Ministry has taken on the mandate of bringing awareness to how valuable Guyana is as a tourist destination and I think as Guyanese find value in it, they will no longer gripe about the money…We want Guyanese to see that there is value in going into the Rupununi, enjoying the indigenous communities, supporting their arts and craft, supporting our local culture.”
“We will continue, at the Ministry, to build out more tourism products as we are here in Region Two, to build out the Essequibo circuit, the Rupununi circuit, Region Five, and so there will be different experiences. Adventure, nature, eco, birding, so, every Guyanese, depending on their taste, can come and find something of value that they will be willing to pay for.”
Meanwhile, a significant portion of the country’s local tourism fall within indigenous communities, which, oftentimes, do not have the resources needed to develop their tourism products.
Minister Walrond said this is something which the government intends to address. In fact, she noted that in the next budget, monies will be set aside to develop roads and other infrastructure needed to help indigenous communities promote their tourism.
