COVID-19 will shut down local tourism industry – THAG President

The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) is fearful that the COVID-19 coronavirus has the potential to shut down the local tourism sector.
According to THAG President Mitra Ramkumar, now that Guyana has its first case of the virus, several cancellation reports have been received from the two major tourism operators.

He noted that this comes at a time when Guyana has been capped as the world’s best eco-tourism destination and having won several awards over the past two years.
“People are more hesitant to travel, there are certain countries that have barriers depending on where you visit. The COVID-19 has spread… it is spreading in our region, and so it is going to have a negative effect on travel, and travelling is linked to tourism,” he explained on Thursday.
Just recently, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has upgraded the risk of transmission of coronavirus to the Caribbean Region from low to very high.
To ensure that Guyanese are well educated about the virus, THAG said that they are working tirelessly to disseminate information about the virus.
Ramkumar stated that hotels and guesthouses in Guyana have instated the regional and tourism health programme, which will help to improve the health and safety of local and international visitors.
“Employees [at the guesthouses and hotels] are required to go through this programme to report any symptoms that have been displayed by their guest. The coronavirus is a treat to the industry and this why we have the CARPHA programme. An illness like this can shut down the industry. People can stop travelling. We have been experiencing some amount of cancellation because of this coronavirus,” he said.
On Wednesday, a 52-year-old woman died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) of suspected coronavirus. Her family has since denied that she had the virus. The woman recently travelled to Guyana from Queens, New York.