Guyana, Ecuador to collaborate on tourism drive

Ecuadorian Tourism Minister Freddy Ehlers said he was captivated by Guyana, its architecture and sustainable development plan during a recent visit to the country, the Guyana Tourism Authority reported.

The visiting diplomat paid a courtesy call on acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali last Thursday at the Housing Ministry in Georgetown, to discuss the integration of the two countries’ tourism product among other issues. Ehlers, who is also a television producer and journalist, will be making a video documentary during his stay.
“This is my first trip to Guyana and I want to use this visit to get footage of Guyana to promote in Ecuador. For me, it is important that we have an exchange of information,” he said.
In light of this, he extended an invitation to Minister Ali and his delegation to attend three major international events that will be held in Quito, Ecuador, in September. These include: the 54th Meeting of the Regional Commission for the Americas (UNTWO); the International Ethics and Tourism Congress; and the Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High Authorities of the OAS.
He also expressed the hope that former President Bharrat Jagdeo would attend this engagement and share more information on the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
Minister Ali noted that the exchange of information can augur well for the advancement of the tourism sector in both countries.
He said, “This is an excellent proposal and we should draft an agreement between the two ministries to develop tourism packages.” There is also to be a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the countries that will see increased cooperation for the development of the tourism sector.
During the visit, Minister Ali pointed to opportunities for investment in Guyana, for which discussions will be held when he visits Ecuador in September.
In addition, the ministers also shared information about the Community Based Tourism (CBT) models used in both countries; here the Ecuadorian official highlighted that Ecuador ranks at number one in Latin America for promoting CBT.
In pointing to the benefits of Guyana’s model, Ali said: “We believe that the tourism mechanism must be owned by the people and that the ethics of the industry must not be used to derail the local culture, customs and practices. It must be used to promote aspects of community life.”
The ministers also discussed linking the destinations through connecting flights in the Caribbean and South America. Immediately following the meeting, Minister Ali accompanied the visitors on a tour of the Mangrove Heritage Site at Victoria, on the East Coast of Demerara. The site, he said, was a perfect example of addressing the issue of climate change while simultaneously incorporating aspects of community life.
“We have blended that together to come up with a strong tourism product that we want to share with the rest of the world,” Ali shared.
Upon arriving at the Visitor’s Centre at Cove and John for the beginning of the tour, the delegation was welcomed by Guyanese conservationist and the brains behind the Mangrove Project, Annette Arjoon-Martins, who made a brief presentation on the benefits of the project.
With his interest piqued, Minister Ehlers used the opportunity to invite Arjoon-Martins to Ecuador in September to share her knowledge and to speak about the importance of conservation. This, he said, would be an integral part of the engagements, as Ecuador is home to the world’s largest mangrove plants and will embrace a conservation plan.
The tour included a brief journey on a horse drawn cart to the mangrove site in Victoria, where Minister Ehlers observed the mangrove restoration project and was also given a chance to interact with the residents and beneficiaries of the project.
During the trip, the Ecuadorian Tourism Minister conducted interviews with Minister Ali, Arjoon-Martins and residents of the village, and explained that these will be aired on his television programme, “Ecuador ama la vida/Ecuador love life”. He was also given a chance to sample local cuisine and music.
Guyana and Ecuador are both members of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO). The visit by Ecuador’s tourism minister was part of wider engagements between the two countries as an MoU was also signed to strengthen political consultations and bilateral ties between the two UNASUR member states and an agreement to allow visa free travel between nationals of the two countries effective September 1.