Overseas Tour Operators impressed with Guyana’s
beauty
April 01, 2004
A GINA Feature by Candace Field
Guyana’s rich bio-diversity and unspoiled
nature has over the years been attracting the attention of a wide
range of foreign tourists and visitors who never realized the
potential of Guyana as a tourist area. Not until they visited
certain areas of the hinterland and other nature resorts.
Many visitors usually see parts of the country, especially the
capital Georgetown, where most Guyanese live, and go back with
the view that that is all there is to the country.
This was not the case with Cathy Holler, a Canadian visitor and
organiser who is also part of the World Travel Market.
Tourism Project Leader of Iwokrama, Joan MacDonald explained that
a few years ago Holler visited Guyana and got the opportunity
to explore some of the tourist spots in the country. Holler was
so amazed at what she saw that she vowed to return to Canada and
relay this information to other foreign tourists.
Tourists from Canada and the United States were then curious to
views the sites in Guyana and all took a trip here to experience
what Holler had described.
This week, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG)
hosted a Tabletop Market Place and Reception in the auditorium
of the Emba Sea Courtyard on Pere Street Kitty. The event was
intended to exhibit the major tourist attractions and export products
made and exported by Guyanese as well as provide valuable information
on other areas of interest.
The foreign tour operators expressed their delight at being able
to view all the sites and stated that they were surprised at what
they saw and how beautiful the country is compared to the prior
impressions they had.
Many businesses in the tourism sector displaying their products
and advertising sites at the reception included Iwokrama, De Abreu’s
Creations, Demerara Distillers Limited and Le Meridien Pegasus.
Information was provided on the Iwokrama Rainforest Programme,
products by Cummings Leather Establishment and many other businesses.
Iwokrama even had children’s books of rainforest stories
and animals on sale, with some books available in both Amerindian
and English languages.
Joan Macdonald disclosed that so impressed were the tourists that
they have agreed to bring 6 to 10 more of their colleagues in
July.
“ Guyana’s tourism is like a diamond in the rough
that needs polishing,” she noted.
US Tour Operator, David Mozer of ‘IBIKE CULTURAL TOURS’
and a producer of specific products stated that he is anxious
to return here to experience the beauty of the country and to
relate his experiences to fellow Americans.
Each Tour Operator had only positives things to say and Macdonald
pointed out that the event’s organisers’ intention
was to begin ‘sowing the seed’ for future major development
in the Tourism Industry of the country.
TOP
Saturday,
April 3, 2004