Tropical View International Hotel opens
By Shirley Thomas
Guyana Chronicle
March 29, 2007
JUST hours before the start of Cricket World Cup 2007 matches here, yet another hotel was opened in Georgetown to cater for the influx of visitors for the mega event.
The three-flat 32-room Tropical View International Hotel at 33 Delph Street and Campbell Avenue, Campbellville, was formally declared open Tuesday afternoon by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad at a simple ceremony witnessed by a moderate gathering which included Director of GO-INVEST, Mr. Geoffrey Da Silva and other officials from the investment agency.
A background to the construction of the hotel with 28 spacious and elegantly outfitted bedrooms ready for occupancy by guests, was given by Managing Director, Mr. Navindra Doodnauth.
He said the hotel will also provide space for a taxi service, an internet facility, a beauty salon and gift shop.
Doodnauth thanked those who helped in various ways to make his dream of converting what initially was a small pharmacy on that plot of land into the hotel it is today.
Coming in for appreciation were the officers of GO-INVEST, the Tourism Ministry, his construction workers, his bank, Guyana and Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), Guyana Power and Light (GPL) among others, who made it possible for him to complete his project in an astonishing 9-month period.
However, his major support was his mother, Mrs. Ashwani Doodnauth, who was shot dead by bandits last November, and in whose memory he dedicated the building.
Also joining Doodnauth in celebration were his wife Jyotika Doodnauth and the rest of the family, including their daughter Anusha who cut the ceremonial ribbon to declare the building open.
Mr. Prashad, who noted that tourism is a growing industry in Guyana, was proud that yet another hotel being opened in Guyana to take care of the accommodation needs of persons coming into the country.
He recalled that previously inadequate accommodation restricted the number of visitors to Guyana by persons genuinely interested.
Today, he said, from 300 in the recent past, there are now about 1,100 hotel rooms available for visitors to Guyana.
“Now people are returning with their families,” he said, confident that they can be adequately and comfortably accommodated.
Prashad, commenting on the upsurge of visitors to the country in recent times, recalled there were about 27,000 visitors to Guyana for GuyExpo last year and about 2,500 for the Christmas holidays.
He also said the huge response to the annual republic anniversary celebrations, Mashramani, was a positive indication that tourism is impacting positively here.
The Tourism Minister also alluded to Guyana’s growing eco-tourism industry, its potential for bird watching, comparing favourably with Belize, Costa Rica and even Peru.
Guyana now boasts more than 800 bird species, 200 of which are in Georgetown, he said.
He also referred to Guyana’s budding yachting industry, saying five yachts are already moored at Bartica which is set for the takeoff.
And with the help of GO-INVEST, Guyana is now poised to stage its first ever Gift and Craft Show to coincide with CWC, he said.
Other attractions at the show will be showcasing rainforest resources, a food court offering a wide variety of cuisine, and other items.