Guyana’s tourism sector growing

A mere decade ago, it was practically non-existent; today, Guyana boasts a thriving tourism sector, with tremendous potential and aspects that can be compared to any of the popular tourist destinations in the region. For Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director Indranauth Haralsingh, the sector can help to transform the country. He explained that tourism is part of the service and export-oriented industries.
“Even though we are at a fledgling stage, we have made a lot of headway as a tourism destination… our popularity has been growing, we are known as an eco, nature and adventure tourism destination,” Haralsingh said.
In recent years, Guyana has been ranked by numerous tour companies, international travel publications and given very good branding and endorsements. It was labelled “God’s Garden”, a birder’s paradise, the hottest new tropical birding destination; listed as one of the top 20 places to visit and in the top 100 adventure destinations of a lifetime.
The country is also well known for its rich cultural heritage, pristine forests, rare and endemic species of animals, and indigenous communities.
Today, the number of tour operators has also increased significantly and there has been more participation in international trade shows.
Visitor arrivals
The most recent such activities were hosted in Canada and New York, and the GTA is now looking to take similar events to countries in the region such as Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. In June, Guyana was prominently featured in the Fortune 500 magazine.
Additionally, on August 16-18, Guyana will be represented at the British Bird Watching Fair.
Over the last 10 years, visitor arrivals have been increasing significantly in Guyana. Last year, there was a recorded figure of over 175,000 visitors compared to 10 years ago when it was merely 70,000 to 80,000. As of June this year, the GTA recorded an 11.5 per cent increase in arrivals compared to the corresponding period last year. This increase is in spite of the fact that Delta Airlines is no longer operating in Guyana and the increased fares by Caribbean Airlines.
He added that for the first time, arrivals are being recorded from other ports of entry such as the Ogle International Airport, where LIAT has recently commenced operations.
The issue of cheap flight to and from Guyana is one of the challenges that the government has been grappling with. However, much effort is being made to negotiate with and encourage various carriers to extend their services to Guyana.
Haralsingh said discussions are ongoing with China Airlines, Jet Blue, West Jet and Air Canada, among others. “We are speaking with lots of airlines and revisiting our strategy so that we can attract more carriers to Guyana,” he said.
Meanwhile, a number of other proposals have been received from companies such as Fly Guyana, which is expected to commence operations in October this year. Fly Jamaica, on the other hand, is expected to start flying to Guyana later this month.
Investment
Haralsingh said that “visitor arrivals is a very good indicator of the health of tourism in Guyana, and the level of investment is another indicator; it shows the confidence that people have in the economy”.
Investments such as the Marriott Hotel, the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), and the Amaila Falls project will catapult the development of tourism in Guyana.
This fact is fully recognised by the private sector and many privately-owned entities in the hospitality industry are following suit by either upgrading their existing facilities or establishing new ones.
Guyana is rapidly becoming a popular film and documentary destination.
At present, the Discovery Channel is in the country filming an entire season (10 episodes) of the popular show “Gold Rush”. Last year, this show was filmed in Guyana and was a major success.
Meanwhile, in September, BBC One will be in Guyana to film “Hunt”, another popular series, which will see the showcasing of Guyana’s harpy eagle. All of these activities are significant investments.
The Discovery Channel alone is investing over Gy$ 2 billion to produce and broadcast the 10-part series that is presently being filmed.
The GTA continues to host familiarisation trips to help to expand its sales and distribution network and ensure that Guyana gets into major publications and travel guides.