Patterson refutes claim that business in Guyana is slowing

Jul 28, 2019 News

Some people are of the opinion that the business pace in Guyana has slowed because of a number of factors. However, Minister David Patterson is in denial of this claim.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

Passengers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA)

The Minister through his Facebook page yesterday refuted the claim. According to Minister. Patterson, “The truth is always stranger than fiction!”
The advertisement stated, “It’s been about two months since business has been slow in Guyana. The Cubans who have (sic) been flocking the Guyanese market are now shopping elsewhere, mostly Suriname.”
The advertisement contended that flights to Guyana are costly in ticket prices and baggage allowance. It also highlighted the difference in the number of flights going to Suriname weekly as compared to Guyana.
Hotel rates, taxes, Governmental assistance and the crime rate were the other factors raised in the advertisement.
The Minister noted that for June, passengers coming to Guyana increased by 12 percent; while the year to date total for passengers arrivals increased by seven percent.
Minister Patterson said that he was surprised by the claims made in the advertisement as a simple fact check can be done to clear the air.
“COPA arriving passengers increased by 44 percent or 6,398 passengers compared to the first half of 2018.
“ARUBA AIRLINES arriving passengers increased by 26 percent or 6,806 passengers compared to the first half of 2018,” Minister Patterson said.
“Caribbean Airlines (CAL) arriving passengers increased by four percent or 3,144 passengers compared to the first half of 2018.”
He added that the passengers of ARUBA and COPA are mainly Cuban passengers and as a result it should be safe to assume that the traffic between Cuba and Guyana has actually increased, rather than decreased.
Just recently, the Guyana Tourism Authority released a recording that between January and June 2019, Guyana has seen an increase of visitors to the country.
Based on information collected from the four main ports of entry, which are Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA), Lethem and Moleson Creek, it was ascertained that Guyana has since attracted 148,715 visitors for the period January – June, 2019.
The report found that this is a 10.69 percent increase in comparison to the January – June 2018 period which received 134,347 visitors.
Recent engagements were done in Georgetown and Lethem to meet with sister agencies of the Guyana Tourism Authority and private stakeholders to elevate the tourism sector in Guyana.
Discussions were focused on the tourism strategy, priorities, and outcomes to date for the 2019-2020 period. The primary focus was on fostering a dialogue on the importance of collaboration in an effort to create shared ownership and buy-in for roles that all stakeholders need to play.

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