President Irfaan Ali on Saturday declared the new US$18M Plaza Court Hotel on Main Street in Georgetown open.
Noting that the Plaza Court Hotel is the seventh major hotel to open within the past year, the President said Guyana is rapidly emerging as one of the Caribbean and South America’s premier tourism destinations.
“Within the next five years, Guyana will emerge as one of the premier tourism destinations in the Caribbean. This will not happen by accident or chance. The tourism boom has already begun. We are not waiting. We are laying the foundation brick by brick, runway by runway, room by room,” the President noted.
The President reminded that within the last five years, Guyana saw nine new international hotels coming to its shores, which signals the confidence that both local and international investors continue to show in the country’s economy.
The President also called for greater collaboration in the hospitality sector. He said while there should be competition, hotels must play a greater role in promoting ‘Brand Guyana.’
“When you speak about tourism, people say we are opening so many hotels and talk about the competitive nature of the hotels, but what is important is collaboration. When all of these hotels collaborate, they are able to hold each other to the same standard. They must hold each other to the same level of accountability, the same level of success and service. All hotels must understand that they are selling one product, one brand, and that is Brand Guyana, Product Guyana,” President Ali noted.
The President emphasized that safety, service and experience remain the three pillars of a successful tourism sector pointing out that government will continue to make investments in those sectors.
He pointed out that the improved security infrastructure on Main Street, Lamaha Street, the Stabroek Market area, Kingston and sections of the seawall have significantly strengthened public safety, while continued investments in technology have modernized monitoring and response systems.
“Brick by brick, runway by runway, room by room, we are laying the foundation for shared prosperity,” the President noted.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Hotel, Navin Prashad said that the 60-room boutique hotel was designed and built to international standards by One Construction Group and its features include a modern lobby, a restaurant and bar, meeting and private dining rooms, a gym, a rooftop bar overlooking the Demerara River, and a presidential suite intended to host heads of government and other high-level visitors.
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