Guyana has a bright future ahead – Ali tells thousands gathered at Trade and Tourism Expo in NY

The thousands of patrons who attended the opening of the Guyana Trade and Tourism Expo in New York were more than thrilled by the energetic and entertaining cultural performances that heralded the start of the three-day event.
The Fitzgerald Stadium came alive last Friday evening as Guyanese music filled the air and the aromas of local food wafted about, welcoming the throngs that came to see the display of craft, other products, food and fashion.

Many were captivated by the colourful displays in the isles as each exhibitor sought to display their company logos in grand style, with banners of green, red, yellow, blue and a kaleidoscope of other colours adorning the venue.
Addressing the gathering at the grand opening ceremony, acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali extended warm greetings and expressed his gratitude to the patrons who took the time to visit the event and participate in the many sweepstakes and activities planned for the occasion.
“Today, we join all of our brothers and sisters back home in sharing a piece of your country with you and the many opportunities that you can be part of. That is why we brought this Trade and Tourism Expo here, we believe that we have a strong tourism product,” Minister Ali announced.
Ali spoke of the record in arrivals last year, when Guyana was leading the 32 member Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) countries in arrivals, with several record- breaking months.
Expounding further on the developments sweeping the nation, the acting tourism minister noted too that Guyana has moved from a destination with 700 hotel rooms to having more than 3000 rooms, excluding the accommodation at the Marriott Hotel which is presently under construction.
“In addition, we will be having a new airport and more than Gy$ 32 billion has been invested in the improvement of infrastructure to develop the industry. Major investors are turning to Guyana as they realise that they have the opportunity to expand their business,” he added.
In closing, Minister Ali resounded the call for more Guyanese to return home and assured those gathered that the government is ready to partner with them, and welcome them home.
“We want all Guyanese to be part of the transformational process, we want to take this opportunity to say that home is awaiting you and we want you to be part of the future Guyana. I want to assure you that we have a bright future ahead,” he added.
Developments
Tourism brand ambassador and veteran Guyanese cricketer, Sir Clive Lloyd also spoke of the developments in Guyana and placed the call for more persons to witness the developments taking place.
For many patrons, the nostalgic nature of the expo provided the incentive to visit and for others, it offered the chance to network and to meet industry representatives on hand with important investment, housing, travel and tax information.
The Guyanese business representatives that travelled to New York for the show all lauded the organisers and pointed to the massive exposure that such an activity will provide, considering that it spanned several days and will attract thousands of visitors.