2 news items BARBADOS and Guyana

2 news items follow.

>
> Guyana launches project to boost tourism development
>
> 20 December, 2000
>
> CASTRIES, St. Lucia - Guyana, which is trying to develop itself
> as a top eco-tourism destination, is undertaking a major training
> and capacity building project for the tourism and hospitality
> sector.
>
> The project, which is receiving financial assistance from the
> Canadian government, is designed to prepare industry personnel in
> the public and private sectors for participation in the global
> tourism sector. "Tourism in Guyana is an emerging sector and a
> strategic priority of the government to propel the national
> development of the country forward," Project Coordinator Inge
> Nathoo told the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) last week.
>
> Nathoo said the project was designed to increase awareness of
> international standards for the industry and build awareness,
> knowledge and understanding of issues associated with tourism as
> an economic sector for the country. "It is expected to help
> develop and improve the visibility and industry leadership of the
> Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), and provide
> opportunities for networking with international tourism resources
> and promote awareness of and advocacy for the industry among
> various target groups," Nathoo told CANA.
>
> The projected cost of the first year of the training programme is
> CDN$122,418 with the Canadian International Development Agency
> (CIDA) contributing CDN$89,580 through the St. Lucia-based
> Caribbean Programme for Economic Competitive (CPEC).
>
> The Guyana hospitality sector and the Ministry of Trade, Tourism
> and Industry will contribute another CDN$32,838.
>
> CPEC was established in St. Lucia one year ago to respond to
> proposals for assistance in the tourism, agriculture, financial
> services and construction sectors in the Organisation of Eastern
> Caribbean States, Guyana, and Jamaica.
>
> Its activities are being extended to include Barbados, Trinidad
> and Tobago and Suriname.
>
> The Guyana project will target four specific groups: tourism
> industry service personnel, tourism educators/vocational
> trainers, private/public sector policy advisers and
> administrators including personnel of THAG and public and
> community members.
>
> Project Consultant/Trainer, Dave Russel, said that during the
> next few months scores of senior public servants and private
> sector officials in the travel and tourism industry will receive
> training.
>
> The training will cover areas such as tourism policy design,
> eco-tourism planning and development, techniques in destination
> management and tourism information management.
>
> In addition, eight officers will be exposed through a one-week
> study programme to appropriate destinations in the region such as
> Cancun, Mexico, Barbados and Jamaica among others.
>
> THAG estimates that 26,000 visitors per year with an average
> length of stay of seven days and spending US$100 per day would
> yield US$18.2 million in revenue for Guyana.
>
> Russel said the project was seeking to support government’s
> tourism development policy in which the national strategy will
> form a decision-making guide for government officials and private
> entrepreneurs as Guyana seeks to make optimum use of its
> resources.
>
> He said it was also in keeping with the mission statement of THAG
> which is "dedicated to being a catalyst in sustainable tourism
> development by fostering professionalism and quality service,
> providing benefits to members, representing member interests and
> collaborating with government and influencing its tourism
> policies". "The expansion of the tourism industry will be
> critical for national development as a means for attracting
> foreign and international tourists, improving the domestic
> tourism awareness and consequently attracting foreign exchange
> and investment," he said.
>
> Russel said there has been increasing interest in Guyana’s
> tourism sector and new investors are seeking to develop the
> product, which will increase the economic competitiveness of the
> sector.
>
> He said the training programme will initiate the process of
> development of human resources with the tourism industry for
> improved standards, enhance productivity and professional service
> delivery.
>
> Nathoo said the goals of the project will impact on employment
> creation since the tourism industry is labour intensive, due
> mainly in part to the service component.
>
> In addition, increased rural tourism development will be derived
> because Guyana’s tourism product is concentrated on the interior
> of the country. "It will also enhance development of an
> economically sustainable and environmentally friendly industry
> coupled with providing economic linkages to the existing
> manufacturing, agricultural and service sectors", Nathoo said.
>
> The project will facilitate development that will serve to
> overcome challenges which exist such as a lack of human resource
> development, and the lack of awareness of international standards
> and requirements. "There is increasing appreciation in the public
> sector for the benefits from the sector as such the general
> unawareness by the populace at large in relation to the
> opportunities to be derived from the sector will be
> alleviated through collaboration between the public and private
> sectors," she said.
>
> Given the stage of development of Guyana’s tourism industry, the
> sector’s human resources are in need of strengthening in all
> areas, with personnel being exposed to international benchmarks
> of professionalism and service quality and encouraged to reach
> them.
>
> A CPEC project report stated that each individual will be
> encouraged to participate in a common goal for service excellence
> in Guyana.
>
> It noted that in its presentation to the government, the THAG
> also suggested that the potential benefits of tourism to Guyana
> based on visitor expenditure would be significant.
>
> SOURCE: St. Vincent & the Grenadines Herald

> Tourism Product Need To Be Enhanced -
> Wednesday-20-December-2000
> by Dr. David Roach
>
> IN OUR CARIBBEAN ISLAND State, Barbados, there is always room for
> improvement. After agricultural crops such as sugar cane, our
> second major chief resource is tourism.
>
> The tourism resource package is a very fragile product especially
> in a competitive market. The location of Barbados in the Eastern
> Hemisphere is somewhat fruitful with the balance in weather
> conditions, good temperature and beautiful sunshine and beaches.
>
> The tourism industry is still attractive in the Caribbean region.
> The Barbados Government has approved the amendment Bill in
> Parliament to refurbish the small privately owned hotels and set
> up a board and approve to soft loan through a lending agency,
> that the hoteliers could renovate, and refurbish their hotels for
> tourist seasons ahead.
>
> Looking at the projection for the new millennium, Barbados needs
> more hotels to accommodate the clientele rushing in, especially
> from Europe and America.
>
> There is a limitation of Entities in Barbados; example Barbados
> Transport Board, Barbados Hilton Hotel, the Caribbean
> Broadcasting Corporation, and so on.
>
> The Government-owned Barbados Hilton is under construction as
> well as privately owned Sandy Lane Hotel.
>
> There is room for a new Barbados-owned hotel; since the old
> Paradise Beach Hotel has been closed and is on the world market
> for sale. It is is in need of repair and needs immediate
> attention.
>
> It is alleged that Sandals Hotel had bought Paradise Beach Hotel
> and failed to refurbish or renovate for too long a period.
> Therefore the property is up for sale for mere $54 million. In my
> opinion, since Barbados’ entities are limited; Government should
> buy the property and rebuild a new hotel to balance with the
> Barbados Hilton Hotel. In macro economics this project should
> prove to be profitable in the long run for the economy in the
> tourism sector.
>
> This entity should house hundreds of tourists with a good
> marketing strategy of the tourism plant. Since there is room for
> the development of the tourist American market, the location of
> the hotel on the western coastline can prove profitable.
>
> In the final analysis, a good marketing stratification of
> Barbados in general in United States and Europe with modern
> hotels in place to coincide with the tropical island Barbados
> could prove profitable.
>
> There should be more development of employment for workers such
> as artisans and hotel workers. Barbados with a new renovated
> international airport, should attract more airline business in
> Barbados and the Caribbean.
>
> Therefore the Caribbean would generate a busier tourism plant, an
> increase in foreign currency and a high stage to an equilibrium
> on national income.
>
> l The above was submitted as a letter to the Editor.
>
> SOURCE: Barbados Nation
Received on Wed Dec 20 15:42:46 2000