Guyana preparing to offer CWC quality, hospitable services
Guyana Chronicle
January 24, 2007

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THE training of personnel in accommodation and hospitality is critical for Cricket World Cup (CWC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is working to ensure that visitors are greeted with first class services.

In the process, the many areas where Guyana is preparing to offer quality services include information, hospitality, lost and found, traffic and parking, first aid and emergency services, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said yesterday.

GINA said about 350 LOC volunteers have been trained to undertake the different tasks and will join 1,000 more under the Guyana Volunteer Programme.

GINA said many of the volunteers have been put to the test in trial runs at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, the National Stadium at Providence and GuyExpo.

Venue Development Director of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Mr. Don Lockerbie, on his venue inspection visit last year, complimented the volunteers after seeing them in action, GINA said.

According to the agency, Guyana will also be using the opportunity to market local cuisine and the LOC conducted a food inspection exercise last year, with support from the Ministry of Health, to prepare inspectors.

GINA noted that food vendors are in the category of stakeholders who will be under scrutiny and would require certification from inspectors who are members of the Public Health Department in the different municipalities, environmental health officers and members of the Food, Drug and Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Health.

GINA said the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) are active partners in the initiative.

PAHO is playing a lead role to prepare the Caribbean in food safety standards, particularly the nine CWC host countries where avenues for businesses to showcase their potential and job creation in the industry are among the many benefits likely to be created from this venture.