World Cup and tourism
Let a thousand B&Bs bloom
By Miranda La Rose
Stabroek News
July 16, 2004
Where to house all the visitors expected to come to Guyana as part of the Cricket World Cup 2007? That is the huge challenge now facing the local tourism industry.
One option, the `Bed and Breakfast' (B&B) arrangement, is getting some attention, says Executive Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Donald Sinclair.
In an interview, Sinclair says there are indications that the accommodation capacity is going to increase outside of plans for the tournament since some investors are already building new hotels, including a five-star unit.
But apart from these initiatives, Sinclair says the GTA would like to nurture the B&B arrangement, which is already coming on stream, but is not regularised. Recently the GTA advertised for persons interested in the B&B arrangement to register with the GTA. Twenty-seven persons have so far responded.
Sinclair says he knows of many places that are operating that have not registered, so registration well before 2007 is an essential first step.
The GTA Product Development Officer, Andre Dukhia said that the GTA was finalising the grading system for B&Bs which are very popular in Europe. Generally the authority is looking for security, what the facility has to offer in terms of electricity, water, cleanliness, access and the kinds of standards that would apply to the traditional tourism establishments.
"You would want to know that the guest would have some modicum of privacy even though they are sharing with a family," Sinclair said, adding that this review would include a physical inspection system by the GTA.
Sinclair said the local B&B arrangement was aimed at extending the accommodation capacity of the nation by using persons who are not catering for a mass clientele. "There are many of the one-room, two-rooms that could be made available to guests in Georgetown," he said.
Noting the response to the invitation to register, Sinclair said that only the East Bank of Demerara and Georgetown areas were targeted. He feels that many people in the targeted area do not seem to understand what is required and noted the need for sensitisation. He said that some of the persons who registered were already providing the B&B service and in a way the exercise was regularising what was already in place.
The B&B arrangement was not being propelled by the 2007 World Cup activity, he added, and the GTA hopes to get it on stream by next year. "Long before 2007, the B&B arrangement was something that the GTA had committed itself to as part of the country's tourism product development."
While the GTA has completed the regulations for accommodation in terms of hotels, guesthouses, resorts, boats, and taxis, he said the GTA has not yet done so for the B&B arrangement. He hopes this will be formalised in time for 2005 and will complement other plans that the government has for accommodation, such as the building of 500 housing units on site as part of the construction of the stadium.
Adequate accommodation, he said, would also depend on the type of matches that would be coming to Guyana. Simultaneous matches would also take the pressure off other island countries and Guyana, since accommodation capacity is a problem, not only for Guyana but also for the region as a whole.
Initially, Dukhia said that the administration was catering for a total of 4,000 people being here at any one time for the cricket matches. Guyana will also be hosting the Indian team so when there are no matches, there will be at least 1,500 people to cater for.
Dukhia said that profiles on the cricket crowd indicate that they were not "the high-end spenders."
In addition, he said that most of the 4,000 World Cup crowd would not be requiring accommodation because most would be staying with family and friends in keeping with the travel trends to Guyana. That will significantly reduce the number of people who would require hotel accommodation. On the other hand, there might be some who will need accommodation since information shows that a number of overseas-based Guyanese now choose to stay at hotels.
Stating that cricket was the backbone of sports tourism in the region, he said that it opens up the country to millions of viewers around the world, hence the challenge to Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean to get their acts together.
He stated that the GTA sees the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Body Building Championships to be held in October as a microcosm of the challenges for 2007. Sinclair, who is also one of the organisers for the regional championship, said what comes out of the CAC experience, will be made available to the World Cup 2007 Committee.
Asked what the hosts of the CAC Championships were looking at, Sinclair said they have informed entertainment providers, night clubs and restaurants, asking that there be safe entertainment options. Similarly this will have to be done for 2007, Sinclair said, adding that the National Cultural Centre, the National Art Gallery, the restaurants, the discos would play their parts.
"2007 is more than cricket. It is Guyana itself on show. The whole region on show."