Contenido del instrumento de constitución:

Based on stakeholder perceptions and direct observations, there is a distinct information gap for visitors to the Rupununi. Eighty eight (74%) questionnaire respondents agreed that there is not sufficient available information about the tourism sites in the region.

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Furthermore, out of the 54 tourist respondents, only ten (19%) felt there was sufficient information available. This lack of information was described by stakeholders as being pertinent to both in-situ and ex-situ circumstances. In other words, information is not sufficiently available to those who are planning to visit the Rupununi and for those who are already on site. An interviewee from the voluntary sector simply argued, “…when [tourists] try to get the information, it’s not available” (Interview V3, 2012; also stated during Interview M2, 2012). Similarly, an industry stakeholder (Interview I4, 2012) stressed, “There is still a need for much more information and accurate information”. Two of the tourist interviewees themselves commented on the lack of information; remarking, for example, that there was “not very much” (Interview T2, 2012), and on site “there is nothing” (Interview T3, 2012). However, stakeholders appear to understand the importance of information in sustainability with 100% of questionnaire respondents agreeing that the addition of more information about the region’s heritage resources would enhance the sustainable development of tourism. An industry professional (Interview I2, 2012) commented that although there is this understanding, there is “...an awful lot to be done yet, an awful lot. We’re just skimming at the surface”.

According to stakeholders, the information gap includes: logistical aspects about the tourism products such as lodging rates, activities, safety, transportation, geography (Interview I4, 2012; Interview T1, 2012; Interview M2, 2012); information on the natural and cultural heritage resources (Interview T1, 2012; Interview P2, 2012; Interview V3, 2012; CI, 2010: 38); and, background information on community management frameworks and events (Interview C2, 2012). Providing more information on the logistical aspects of Rupununi tourism would allow for easier coordination for visitors. Indeed, one tourist (Interview T3, 2012) commented that more information would be useful as “...it highlights” and makes “...a series of flagships for each place”. Currently, tourists can find it difficult in organising their trip. Another tourist (Interview T4, 2012) described the “...hours researching and trying to put an itinerary together” and that she “...found it difficult when we were trying to plan things”. If tourists had access to more information, they may include more options in their itinerary and potentially stay longer in the area which would generate more income for local stakeholders (Ortega & Rodriguez, 2007: 151). An industry member (Interview I4, 2012) described the importance of information as it pertains to Rupununi tourism by arguing that for many people, “…if they had known, they would have extended their stay”. A media stakeholder (Interview M2, 2012) further asserted that

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this also helps with “visitor expectations” where “…they have a better idea of what to expect based on research they are doing”.

As for the lack of information on local heritage resources, CI (2010: 38) argue that the Rupununi’s “culture and history… provide a strong basis for interpretive development”. On what information should be provided to visitors, a host community member (Interview C3, 2012) commented, “For me, I think what we want to share is to tell them what we have and how we intend to keep it”. Another community member (Interview C2, 2012) added, “…you need to document things that happen at the community level, in the community…an inventory of what you have”. This thought was shared with other stakeholders as well. A voluntary sector stakeholder (Interview V3, 2012) affirmed, “It depends on the site of course. I think the natural history is important obviously…but I think the real catch is the people. The information I think people would be interested in is the natural history and the interaction, or association, people have with nature”. On the amount of information on heritage resources, a media representative (Interview M2, 2012) described the little available information that is out there as being “more general”, lacking more specifics.

During interviews, stakeholders revealed various reasons for this shortage of available information for tourism. Principal reasons included a lack of resources (Interview P1, 2012) and capacity (Interview V3, 2012) and the need to effectively organise the information (Interview I2, 2012; Interview I5, 2012; Interview M1, 2012). For example, a member from the public sector (Interview P1, 2012) described how “…most of the communities, they have very limited resources and that’s financial resources, human resources”. This was further elaborated on by a member of the voluntary sector (Interview V3, 2012) who argued:

“…I think the capacity isn’t there, and a lot of times for me also, the people who support them don’t have the capacity…And of course resources, technical, financial, so there is a big gap. It affects the business because one, people don’t know about the marketing but also when the people come here and experience the product, I think they leave not having this information to take with them.”

Visits to communities revealed that most do not yet possess consistently available access to computers or the internet. This is most evident by their absence on the World Wide Web, which can serve as a “powerful marketing tool” by being “their window to the world” according to a public sector member (Interview P1, 2012). Tourists

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(Interview T2, 2012; Interview T3, 2012) also remarked about the scarcity of websites for Rupununi attractions and the difficulty in finding information. A member from a host community (Interview C3, 2012) urged that this was slowly improving and that “…we are still trying to get things in place in terms of the website, sharing and receiving information”.

A basic, yet key, finding which emerged during data analysis was that stakeholders feel much of the information is known and ready for sharing, but lacks organisation. A member of the media (Interview M1, 2012) argued, “There is enough information, but what is needed now amongst us is to organise that information”. This feeling was shared by members of the industry as well. One interviewee (Interview I2, 2012) in particular stated, “The problem is that there is a need to correlate all of the available information and put it together, but there are many aspects which still need to be investigated and included in this work” (also stated during Interview I5, 2012). For example, information on local legends and folklore do exist but have not been organised for tourism use. Indeed, because this information is not organised, an industry member (Interview I5, 2012) asserted, “It’s not really accessible” for visitors and other stakeholders alike.

Although information sharing still needs improvement, stakeholders do feel that the situation is progressing. This has been accomplished largely in part through the many partnerships created between stakeholder groups. A member of the voluntary sector (Interview V2, 2012) stated, “It’s improving, I’ve seen the work that has been done by the ones that are more established and it comes from the partnerships that have been created to help with that, not just the local partners, but the international ones as well”. This type of collaboration was further explained by a senior member from the public sector (Interview P1, 2012) who described how his organisation has provided support in everything from brochures to website development and facilitating the participation of local tourism managers in international travel markets where information is distributed on the region. In the end, it is clear that improving information sharing will be crucial to the sustainable development of tourism in the Rupununi. In agreement, an industry professional (Interview I2, 2012) argued, “It has to happen. There must be some energy to coordinate it and there must be some funding behind it, and there must be a way that the stakeholders themselves can access this information and use it for the interpretation to their visitors”. Improving the distribution of information requires a more organised delivery of material both on and off site and should cover the above mentioned elements

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which are vital to the Rupununi tourism structure. The following sub-sections describe the best methods for distributing information in the Rupununi, as well as the impact of an information gap on the interpretation of heritage resources.