The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) on Wednesday launched the much-awaited tourism apps – Discover Guyana and Discover Guyana Tourist Service Providers – which are intended to further boost tourism in the Rupununi area, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond
The apps were created by several stakeholders, including the GTA, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI), software development company V75, and Wilderness Explorers.
The first app, Discover Guyana, was built exclusively for travellers, to enable them to plan trips ahead of time by viewing GTA-certified tourism establishments, get updated information on safeguards and standards of certified providers at each stage of their travel.
The second mobile application – Discover Guyana Tourist Service Providers – allows tourists to create profiles for their establishments, demonstrate their COVID-19 certification information, respond to their inquiries, and access up-to-date health information to keep both their staff and visitors safe.
A preview of the tourism apps launched by the GTA
The applications also have check-ins and out of lodges features, and can answer questions periodically about their health, to keep track of visitors’ travel histories in the event of a possible situation.
In delivering remarks at the launch, Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond emphasised that “the app allows us [the GTA] to follow the travel patterns of visitors, to quickly identify areas of concern in the event of a positive COVID-19 test, thus facilitating effective responses.”
The Minister also stated that even though the core value of the apps is to protect the Tourism sector from pandemics such as the COVID-19 outbreak, the apps have been designed to provide better monitoring and evaluation.
“We cannot run a sector such as tourism without effective monitoring and evaluation,” she iterated. “Going forward, the Ministry will place significant emphasis on visitor feedback, to guide us in our interactions with stakeholders and to inform resource allocations,” Walrond stated as she spoke about the future of the apps.
Walrond also encouraged the embracement of partnership and technology that would further improve Guyana’s tourism sector. “We have to embrace technology, we have to embrace partnership – it cannot happen without partnerships,” she said.
However, the lead developer of the apps, Eldon Marks of V75 Inc, while doing the honours of unveiling them, assured that they would work hand-in-hand to assist both tourists and tourist service providers alike.
Meanwhile Candace Phillips, the Master Trainer responsible for training the lodges of Rupununi, explained that 150 individuals were trained in the span of three weeks: to better equip themselves in household and kitchen management, how to implement accurate protocols to fully be ready in the event of a positive COVID-19 case, and knowledge on how to use the new applications.
She also stated that four health officers were trained and put on the grounds to further observe, monitor, and combat the chances of a positive COVID-19 case.
Acting head of the GTA, Kamrul Baksh, recalled the struggles the tourism sector faced when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Guyana. “We were in a period of – I guess uncertainty, scared. It was a lot of unknown, and we needed to develop not only an application, but an entire system…that is robust and comprehensive, that could take us out of this pandemic, and to lead the recovery efforts,” he said.
Baksh stated that after having conversations with key stakeholders in the industry, different protocols were arrived at, and a framework was created that “we will see the implementation of the two apps that were created”.
