Massacres cutting into Guyana tourism

Guyana's national flag (File photo)

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 25, 2008 – Tourism officials in Guyana say the sector is suffering as a result of the recent killings in villages across the country.

Travel advisories have been issued by America, Britain and Canada since the two massacres – first in Lusignan and then Bartica – which left 23 people dead and chairperson of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) Renata Chuck-a-Sang said many of the country's tour operators and resorts have reported bookings being cancelled.

"It's that uncertainty that's driving fear into people," she contended, adding that the trend was worrying.

According to the tourism official, the travel advisories have impacted negatively as expected.

"Our tourism industry is not a booming one…We do not need any discouragement from any quarter," Ms Chuck-a-Sang added.

Law enforcement authorities have charged one teenager in connection with the first of the two incidents, but are still searching for others involved in those killings as well as those responsible for the Bartica shootings.