Flight delays, poor service stifle tourism industry
Consumer Concerns
Mr David Jessop in his Sunday Stabroek Column on August 27, invited us to answer these questions: What is the most important industry in the Caribbean? Which is the largest regional sector in terms of its economic contribution and the numbers it employs? He gave us the answer: Tourism. That being so, let us look at some consumer concerns in relation to the tourism industry. Without efficient airlines and modern airports, our tourism industry is not going to develop as fast as it should. As a recent traveller I am in a position to make some comments. The requirement that the airline passenger should be at the airport three hours before the time scheduled for the departure of the airline is the first irritant. It becomes more than an irritant when one arrives at the airport and finds that the airline officials are not at their counter and, then, do not appear for another half hour or so. The waiting period in the Departure Lounge is a boring episode that can only be endured by persons who anticipate pleasure in the near future. An announcement that the flight is delayed is a call for more endurance. One now has time to look around. There is no toilet paper in the toilets. The rising morning sun shows that the glass panes have not been cleaned for many a day. At last you are on your way. There is another flight from Piarco airport to Crown Point airport in Tobago. Again, the plane is delayed. An hour's wait and we are boarding the plane. There is a snag: one passenger is without a seat. Possibly there has been overbooking. Half an hour or more is wasted in sorting out that problem. On the return journey there are the same annoying delays. Apologies are necessary but delays on every flight cannot be tolerated. The plane to Piarco leaves one hour late. The passenger's frustration is not ended. The plane that should leave Piarco for Guyana at noon is delayed. The departure time is now 7 pm but, of course, there is no guarantee. The passenger returns at 5 pm for the 7 pm flight and is advised that the plane departs at 9.30 pm; it eventually leaves at 10.50 pm. These delays, as one sees, are almost traditional with some of the airlines. If the tourist industry is to bring in the dollars, we will have to be more efficient and give more consideration to passengers who use the services. On arrival at Cheddi Jagan International Airport at midnight, one faces other frustrations. There is a notice on the wall advising persons to use only airport taxis and to have the drivers display their identification cards. There is not one airport taxi in sight. A taxi-driver offers his services but you gather from him that he does not have a hire car licence. There seems to be no alternative but to telephone to Georgetown and seek the services of a taxi service. You look around for a telephone. One is in sight but you are informed that it extends only to the Timehri area. You try the VIP lounge only to find that the telephone there is also limited to Timehri area. Can one imagine a visitor to the land arriving and finding no assistance whatever and no telephone available? There are few people in the lounge as friends have arrived to meet the incoming passengers and a bus has provided a service to many at a high fee. There is time now to check the fare structure as displayed on a wall. The careful consumer can learn the charges for Georgetown, Berbice, East Coast Demerara, West Coast Demerara, which reads like this:
WEST COAST DEMERARA I typed Linden in capitals because I really could not believe my eyes. The charges were given for each. As far as hotels go, there are lessons to be learnt from the experience in Tobago. Tobago's tourist industry has developed tremendously over the past few years. Direct flights from Germany take hundreds of tourists there yearly. But all is not perfect in the hotel industry. Some visitors change their hotels weekly. When it rained, water entered a room in a five-star hotel. To walk on wet tiles is a danger; serious injury could result and no financial compensation would alleviate the pain that might result. A recommendation is that all rooms in five-star hotels should be carpeted. One hotel proprietor was nervous about the safety of his towels. Another advised that no hot irons should be rested on the carpet. Reservations are not carefully documented both here in Guyana and in Tobago. It is interesting to note that a double room now contains two double beds. The toilet seats go lower and lower causing more and more difficulty to senior citizens. In apartments where cooking is permitted, no soap or towels are provided for bathroom use. Complaints are not taken seriously. As our tourist industry is in its infancy, it would be advisable for the Tourist Board to consult with consumers. Much could be learnt.
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