Part B: Situation Analysis & Future Plans Using the outline, research, and introduction you prepared for Part A, prepare a report for your minister that examines the following. You can use the hea

Tourism in Guyana

Name

University

Name

REC-2100-D01

8th June 2022

Annotated Bibliography

Brown, V (2022). Best time to go to Guyana, Responsible travel. https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/guyana/travel-guide/best-time-to-visit-guyana

This source by Brown Vicki 2022 provides literature on the best time to visit Guyana. This includes such periods as august and January when the rains have subsided in different parts, and the forests are more passable. During the period, people wishing to enjoy warm weather at the coast are also better positioned to enjoy cool weather.

Stockton A, (2018). 4 Reasons to Visit Guyana https://www.bushmasters.co.uk/4-reasons-visit-guyana/

This article by Alex Stockton 2018 provides literature on the main reasons why tourists visit Guyana. They include relaxation, incredible wildlife, beautiful natural landscapes, a sense of adventure, and bushmasters' trips. These are mainly done during the warm period when the tourists can visit different areas and enjoy participating in different activities with a lower risk of getting in trouble with the weather and infrastructure.

Mark D. W & Teneisha J. (2015). DecemberTourism and Ecotourism Development in Guyana: Issues and Challenges and the Critical Path Forward https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Tourism-and-Ecotourism-Development-in-Guyana-Issues-and-Challenges-and-the-Critical-Path-Forward.pdf

This article by Mark and Teneisha provides literature on the challenges faced by ecotourism in Guyana. It explains some of the areas that need improvements so that tourism improves in the country. One area that needs improvement is the infrastructure to increase the accessibility of different areas and security to ensure that tourists feel free to explore different areas in the country.

WorldData (2021). Development of the tourism sector in Guyana from 1995 to 2020. https://www.worlddata.info/america/guyana/tourism.php#:~:text=Guyana%20generated%20around%2028.00%20million,tourism%20receipts%20in%20South%20America.&text=On%20average%2C%20each%20of%20the,spent%20about%2082%20US%20Dollars.

This article provides statistics on the progress made by the tourism sector in Guyana from 1995 to 2020. It argues that the last 23 years have seen a gradual decrease in the amount of GDP earned from the tourism sector. It also provides estimates of the national revenue resulting from tourism and the average spending by the tourists per head while on vacation to Guyana.

Ishmael-Robertson, C. A. (2018). What are the key advances in human resource development that tourism in Guyana needs by 2025? Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/WHATT-05-2018-0034/full/html

This article provides details on the need for key human resource training. These include wine training, handling of foods and beverages, and preventative maintenance. Clear policies must be drafted into laws so that the human resource personnel can understand how best to provide satisfactory services to the tourists.

Lundt J. (2022). Why Guyana's Tourism is Critical for Conservation. https://friendsofwallacea.org/2022/01/24/tourism-for-conservation-guyana/

This article provides information on the background of the tourism sector in Guyana. It argues that the natural forests are one of the factors that attract tourists to Guyana, and the natural forest cover is about 87%. It also provides facts on the national language used in Guyana.

Balram, N. & Cameron S, (2019). Tourism Is the Second Largest Export Sector in Guyana https://www.business.gov.gy/2019/07/17/715/#:~:text=With%20286%2C732%20total%20visitors%20last,its%20second%20largest%20export%20sector.&text=Export%20refers%20to%20money%20going,consumer%20to%20a%20domestic%20business.

This article argues that tourism is the second largest industry in Guyana, after gold. It argues that travel and tourism have employed approximately 22000 people in Guyana. It also argues that the total GDP from tourism was around 7.8% in 2018. The country is considered one of those offering sustainable ecotourism in the world.

Dyson, S. (2022). 21 Unique Tourist Attractions You Can't-Miss in Guyana https://worldlyadventurer.com/guyana-tourist-attractions/

This article identifies the major attraction sites in Guyana. They include Kaieteur Falls, swampy areas, rainforests, and wild animals. It is the home of different species of wild animals, birds, and animals.

Outline

Introduction.

Facts about Guyana. English is the national language, although several people speak other languages.

Mining, agriculture, and tourism are significant sources of revenue.

First body paragraph.

Tourism has significantly contributed to the country's GDP since the 1900s.

However, it has been declining mainly since the 1990s and is facing several challenges.

The major attraction remains the natural forests and the warm climate.

First body paragraph.

Some of the facts about tourism in Guyana. 286000 tourists visited the country in 2018, and their average spending was between 82 and 98 dollars per head.

First body paragraph.

Reasons why tourists visit Guyana. They include relaxation, viewing wildlife, seeing the stunning natural landscapes, a sense of adventure, and bushmasters' trips.

First body paragraph.

Significant challenges facing tourism in Guyana.

First body paragraph.

Possible improvements that need to be made to increase tourism in Guyana.

Last paragraph.

The best period to visit Guyana.

Tourism in Guyana

The official language of Guyana is English, but many Guyanese speak other languages, including Hindustani, French, Spanish, Creole, and Portuguese. Guyana's economy is based on agriculture and mining, and it is considered one of the least developed countries in the world. Its tourism industry is still developing but offers many natural attractions and historical sites (Balram & Cameron, 2019).

Tourism in Guyana has been known as a tourist destination since the early 1900s. Tourism was a significant driver of economic growth in the country until the mid-1980s. Today, tourism remains a significant contributor to the economy. However, despite its importance, tourism faces many challenges, including high crime rates, unstable political conditions, and a lack of infrastructure. Tourist Attractions There are several tourist attractions in Guyana that draw visitors worldwide. These include the capital city of Georgetown, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the historic Maroon village of Berbice, the Amerindian cultural site of Kumasi, and the colonial town of Lethem (Dyson, 2022). The climate in Guyana is tropical and humid. Rainfall occurs throughout the year but tends to be heaviest between May and October. Temperatures vary little throughout the year, ranging from 24°C (75°F) at night to 28°C (82°F) during the day.

In 2018, the country received a total of 287000 tourists, a 15% increase from the number of tourists received in 2017. The country is known for its vast and beautiful rainforests, covering about 87% of its total geographical area. However, the country's tourism sector has been affected by tension fueled by-elections. It is approximated that tourists visiting Guyana spend between 82 and 98 dollars each for a holiday. In the year 1995, revenues originating from tourism amounted to 33 million dollars and thus contributed to 5.3 percent of the country’s GDP (WorldData, 2021). However, the country's tourism revenue dependence has generally decreased over the last 23 years. The number of tourists visiting Guyana declined drastically in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19; thus, the country recorded 86400 tourist arrivals.

There are several reasons why tourists visit Guyana. However, there are five main reasons. They include; Relaxation, viewing wildlife, seeing the stunning natural landscapes, a sense of adventure, and bushmasters' trips (Stockton, 2018). Many people visiting Guyana argue that it resembles the Caribbean islands more than the Americas. People looking for chilled-out and good holiday places in hot countries prefer Guyana. It also has dense forests with more than 800 bird species, giant rivers, otters, and several different wildlife species. The country is also well endowed with stunning landscapes, including lakes, waterfalls, small creeks, and the massive savannah. People who enjoy taking photos of different landscapes have an opportunity to explore different areas and take photos. Tourists have an opportunity to visit the wild and interact with different animals in the jungle, thus enhancing their adventures.

The infrastructure of Guyana is not well developed compared to other countries. No major roads connect different parts of the country (Mark & Teneisha, 2015). This makes traveling difficult and expensive. In addition, there are no airports, seaports, or railways. These factors make tourism in Guyana less attractive than in other countries. The infrastructure of Guyana has been neglected for many years. This includes roads, bridges, airports, ports, power supply, water supply, and telecommunications. These are some of the basic needs that should be addressed before tourism can take off. Many roads have not been paved, electricity is only available for a few hours each day, and the water supply is unreliable. This is a significant problem for the tourism industry. There are no direct flights to Guyana from any other country. One of the nearest airports is in Trinidad and Tobago. The road conditions are poor, and there are frequent accidents. Accommodations are expensive and do not offer much value for money. Most hotels are old and run down. Guyana's education system is not good enough. Security is another major issue. People who come here are robbed at gunpoint. The police cannot protect them from these criminals. For tourism in Guyana to improve, there also needs to be appropriate training of human resource personnel to better handle the tourists' needs (Ishmael-Robertson, 2018). This will promote service delivery, thus increasing the pull factors related to the quality of services.

The best time to visit Guyana is early august and late December to early January (Brown, 2022). During these periods, the rains reduce, and the forests become less dense; hence they are easily passable. The jungles also become less swamp-like, thus increasing their accessibility (Lundt, 2022). During this time, less rain is received in the coastal areas, and the savannahs become the driest parts. The demand for tourism services in 2022 is expected to rise to about 370000.

Year	Number of Tourists	Receipt in US dollars
2020	86400
2019	315000
2018	287000	98
2017	247000	385
2016	235000	443
2015	207000	314
2014	206000	383
2013	200000	385
2012	177000	362
2011	157000	605
2010	152000	526
2009	141000	248
2008	130000	454
2007	134000	373
2006	113000	327
2005	117000	299
2004	122000	221
2003	101000	277
2002	104000	510
2001	99000	657
2000	105000	762
1999	75000	1453
1998	66000	1682
1997	76000	1513
1996	92000	1217
1995	106000	311

Fig 1.1: A table on the trend of tourism in Guyana since 1995

Fig 1.2: A graph of the trend of tourism in Guyana since 1995

References

Brown, V (2022). Best time to go to Guyana, Responsible travel. https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/guyana/travel-guide/best-time-to-visit-guyana

Dyson, S. (2022). 21 Unique Tourist Attractions You Can't-Miss in Guyana https://worldlyadventurer.com/guyana-tourist-attractions/

Lundt J. (2022). Why Guyana’s Tourism is Critical for Conservation. https://friendsofwallacea.org/2022/01/24/tourism-for-conservation-guyana/

Mark D. W & Teneisha J. (2015). December Tourism and Ecotourism Development in Guyana: Issues and Challenges and the Critical Path Forward https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Tourism-and-Ecotourism-Development-in-Guyana-Issues-and-Challenges-and-the-Critical-Path-Forward.pdf

Stockton A, (2018). 4 Reasons to Visit Guyana https://www.bushmasters.co.uk/4-reasons-visit-guyana/