It is very encouraging to see that the concept of sports tourism is now being discussed on a wider scale in Guyana. A primary function of a sporting event is to provide the host community with an opportunity to secure high prominence in the tourism marketplace. Therefore, the introduction of sports tourism as a major industry here is an excellent idea, and it would certainly be in the nation’s interest if the major players involved work seriously towards designing and implementing the necessary programmes and policies that would see Guyana taking advantage of the many opportunities available in the sector.
Analysts have pointed to the fact that sports tourism is a huge and growing industry, with important economic implications for both the sport, the event, and the impact of travel and tourism-related benefits on host destinations.
Many believe that sports tourism could become a viable and sustainable component of Guyana’s overall tourism product, and could make a tangible contribution to national development.
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games here is a good example of the tremendous benefits that could be derived from a sporting event of that magnitude. Guyana, through the CPL, has benefited significantly from sports tourism since the inception of the tournament. The games’ economic impact locally has been both direct and indirect. According to CPL, assessment reports compiled have shown that the economy received close to US million last season. The net sum was calculated by looking at the influx of tourists to the country, hotel bookings, vending during the games, and the overall spending of persons during this period.
With the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ success at CPL, Guyana has, over the past four years, benefited from some USM from the tournament.
The League attracts some of the best international cricketers from across the globe, and this has set the stage for an abundance of thrilling T20 cricket for Caribbean fans and those in the diaspora. The six-franchise League gives territories such as Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda (2013) a great opportunity to reap tremendous economic benefits.
Each year, the National Stadium at Providence — home ground of the Guyana Amazon Warriors — attracts sold-out crowds. With tournaments such as these, it is not only the sold-out stadiums that warrant the prestige, but also the chance to showcase one’s country on the global market, since television viewership would usually span each continent.
Guyana must therefore capitalise on the economic successes of CPL, and work towards further developing sports tourism in general. The tournament has provided stakeholders here with a perfect opportunity to create a sustained sports tourism initiative.
That said, for Guyana to fully benefit, there are a number of challenges which must be addressed urgently. These include ensuring adequate facilities are in place to host high-level games, and investing in training of personnel to ensure that we have the human resources necessary to organise and manage the activities, among other things.
Marketing sports tourism requires sport and the host destinations to be cross-leveraged, to optimise the quality of experiences that the sports tourist obtains. Hence the quality of infrastructure and services at the destination provide essential support for the overall sports tourism experience. However, this is not a role only for the Government and sports associations; the private sector could become more involved by making the necessary investments, since they also stand to benefit.
That said, sport should not be seen only as competition, but as having the potential to attract persons, both from the diaspora and other countries, which in turn would create a major boost to the economy through hotel accommodation, transportation, retail shopping etc.
Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, Barbados and Grenada are regarded as good models of sports tourism. For these countries, it is a huge market, but they have made the bold decision by pumping the necessary investments into critical areas. Guyana could also do the same. In the words of veteran broadcaster Joseph “Reds” Perreria, “Guyana has tremendous possibilities for sports tourism”. CPL and the Amazon Warriors have provided a perfect start.
