TRAC mulls community-based tourism in recovery plans

…to be assisted by 200 ICT hubs

Community-based tourism will be the next step undertaken in Guyana as part of the recovery action plan, specifically introduced by the Tourism Recovery Action Committee (TRAC).

The Committee hosted its third stakeholder engagement for the implementation of this initiative through collaboration with the Public Telecommunications and Public Health Ministries. TRAC, while created to specifically resuscitate the tourism industry, is backed by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Tourism Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG).
The pilot communities that the GTA is currently working with are Chenapau, Karasabai, Moraikobai, Warapoka, Lake Capoey, St Cuthbert’s Mission and Wakapao. The aim is to guide the development of community tourism enterprises based on the methodology that has been successfully implemented in Rewa and Surama.
Sharing input from the Public Telecommunications Ministry, Phillip Walcott noted that the initiative would be developed through the establishment of 200 Information Communications Technologies (ICT) hubs in selected communities to increase connectivity.
The project seeks to establish 52 of these facilities in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); 37 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice); 33 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and the remainder in other administrative regions.
These will be installed by private service providers and Digicel will cater for 72 of the 200 locations.
They are also mulling easy technological mediums to check-in at these locations or assist with any other issues; and digital marketing to promote businesses. A platform is being developed where persons can indicate their needs, how many persons are travelling, or any special request.
“The challenge is for us to use technology to develop tourism in Guyana,” Walcott suggested.
The National Data Management Authority will have to receive a formal application from the GTA to provide connectivity in areas where these activities are being developed. An assessment was also requested to determine the technological needs of the industry to ensure that all suppliers are exposed to the latest devices.
Public Health Ministry Representative Abbigail Liverpool shared its response to the COVID-19 situation holistically, but no specific tourism-driven measures were highlighted. She referred to COVID-19 digital tracking which analyses the symptoms of patients.
Guyana stands to lose $100 billion this year as a result of lost export earnings and tourism owing to COVID-19, and the tourism association had reached out to Central Government for low-cost financial support and supplemental financing options, in addition to other relief.
The GTA gave the stark projections in April while reporting that by the end of that month, the sector had already lost an estimated 46 per cent of its total revenue over a six-month period in contrast to the revenue earned for the same period in 2019.