Caroni boatmen unhappy with hours set by tourism ministry

Caroni boat tour operators are unhappy with the new hours set by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts for tours.

The ministry issued a statement on Monday that said they may resume their tours at 50 per cent capacity from 5am - 2pm.

The statement reminded operators and those wishing to go on tours to uphold the covid19 public health protocols.

Speaking with the Newsday, Allester Nanan of Nanan's Caroni Bird Sanctuary Tours said the company is dissatisfied with the hours they are allowed to conduct tours. Nanan said, "After not being able to operate for just about ten months, they have given us hours that do not even make much sense to operate within."

So the company will be focusing on its secondary attractions, such as kayaking, educational school trips, and breakfast tours.

He said 95 per cent of people wishing to go on bird sanctuary tours want to do so in the evening, when the scarlet ibises fly in.

"It comes like opening the borders, but there's nothing to see."

Nanan said representatives from the tour industry have written letters to the Attorney General in hopes of having the hours extended to accommodate their evening tours.

Speaking on behalf of Kalpoo's Tours, Ravi Kalpoo said while he is happy the industry is finally able to resume tours, he thinks the ministry could have been more lenient with the hours. Kalpoo said the company's boat capacity has gone from 50 to 15-20 people, but even so, filling that capacity, given the hours allowed for operation, will be difficult.

Kalpoo said his company is eager to hear what comes of discussions with the AGon extended tour hours. In the meantime the company will be enforcing the covid19 public health protocols.

"Kalpoo's continues to ensure there is adequate space between groups, contact tracing lists and temperature checks."

He echoed Nanan's statistic of 95 per cent of people wishing to go on tours preferring to do so in the evening.

"The best time for the tour are the last few hours of light, from 4-6pm. Most people like to do the tour as an evening relaxer. But right now that is not in the cards for us."