Guyana to be featured on international travel shows

Adventure Life believes that travel should inspire, be authentic and it should reflect passion and personality.
As they seek to showcase this, two representatives from Adventure Life, Julia Dimon and Matthew Rutherford have journeyed to Guyana for the first time, to capture the essence of the destination and to connect with the people.
Dimon, a travel writer and TV travel host has visited more than 80 countries across the globe, and she will speak of her experiences in Guyana when she appears on the New York Times Travel Show, and LA Times Travel Show, in January and February respectively of this year.

Dimon has also secured a commitment from Outside TV (an extension of Outside Magazine) and the Travel Channel to feature the destination, in addition to the promise of a write up of the destination in an MSNBC article.
Alluding to the importance of this exposure, acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali said, “Adventure Life is here and we are working with Wilderness Explorers to facilitate the trip. This programme has a wide viewership and it forms part of our strategy this year to attract more film/ documentary crews and travel writers to the destination.”

He noted too that this is an important aspect of the ministry’s strategy and focus to ensure that the destination brand is presented to the wider travelling market and by the most influential operators in the market.
Welcoming the duo, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director Indranauth Haralsingh also expounded on the benefits of such exposure and pointed to the magnitude of the destination awareness that will be generated. “We hope this is the beginning of an ongoing relationship where other writers can come to Guyana, as we work in partnership with other operators. We can get great exposure and leverage from these publications and platforms. As part of our communication and public relations strategy, we will continue to embrace and support such activities. If we want maximum exposure, we have to be presented on the international scene,” he stated. According to Haralsingh, this venture was made possible through collaboration between the GTA and Wilderness Explorers, which will serve as the official tour guide of the visitors while they are in Guyana and with support from the management of Iwokrama, Surama and Rewa. Through their customised itinerary, the travel writers will be able to maximise on the experiences over the next eight days as they visit several areas across the country, including Rewa, Surama, Iwokrama, Atta Lodge and several sites in Georgetown.

Great expectations
Both representatives expressed excitement and great expectation over all the possibilities that awaited them as they embark on their journey to explore Guyana. “For me, it seems like an emerging destination, it seems as though you are interested in promoting eco tourism and that is my main interest. I think the pristine environment is the main attraction. I would love to see a jaguar, that would be one of my highlights,” travel enthusiast Julia Dimon explained.

From surviving the night in the forest to navigating the city streets, the duo was assured of an exciting, exhilarating experience as they begin their “Amazon Adventure”.

Adventure Life is an adventure travel company that provides custom and small group tours in Latin America and smallship cruises throughout the world. They offer over 100 different itineraries in South America and Central America, and hundreds of small-ship cruises to less conventional destinations such as Africa, the Arctic, Antarctica and Alaska.

Their focus is nature, cultural, and active travel and they apply ecotourism principles to their tour and cruise programmes. Since its founding in 1999, over 24,000 clients have travelled with the company. This media Familiarisation Trip (FAM) forms part of GTA’s strategy to promote and brand the destination and to intensify awareness efforts in key target markets.