Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has left many nations reeling from economic pain, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has no intention of halting plans to advance sports tourism, especially when one considers the fact that the industry holds the potential to garner over US$7B in revenue annually. Making this disclosure regarding the government’s intentions recently was Minister Charles Ramson. He was at the time, fielding questions during an interview on a local radio station.
During that dialogue, the Minister was keen to note that his view of sports goes beyond it being an avenue for recreation and a platform for improved health and vitality. He articulated that he is looking to develop world class talent across Guyana which would be integral to the government’s sports tourism plans.
In the same breath, the Minister acknowledged that the pandemic has had an effect on the sports industry. In this regard, Ramson said,”The pandemic has been really damaging for sports because as you know, in order to hone your talent, you have to practice. But when you do not advance that talent, you not only stay still but you can regress and you don’t want your athletes to go through that.”
Be as it may, Ramson said that the Ministry will be doing what it can to lay the groundwork for the advancement of sports tourism. In fact, the Minister noted that the government intends to build two stadiums.
He also shared that efforts will be advanced to ensure the nation has a robust sports policy. Minister Ramson said, “So we had a draft already (which the APNU+AFC had created) but I have restarted the process for engagements on this document because a policy is a representation of the government and you have a new administration in place. The current document is not anything one can be proud of. It is not one of substance…”
With this in mind, Minister Ramson said he expects to conclude the engagement process within a matter of months.
