Much needed publicity

Guyana’s tourism industry undoubtedly is making tremendous strides in capturing the attention of the world with its truly unique ecological, nature and adventure tourism. As we have said before; the tourism sector holds great potential, and can contribute to our development by helping to generate income, investments, foreign exchange, and employment for the benefit of every Guyanese.

Subject Minster Manniram Prashad was very much on target when he said that tourism is the industry of the future, and we must concede that the sector holds great promise for our country. Even Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Mr Hugh Riley, sees Guyana as a “natural magnet for serious vacationers” and notes that it is an incredible story waiting to unfold.

Indeed, tourism in Guyana has grown significantly over the years, and although it is still evolving, it has reached a major milestone by making our presence known to the world through excellent international coverage. Just recently, “Destination Guyana” received a major boost in the international spotlight, having been featured in “50 tours of a lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler Magazine. In the magazine’s April edition, ‘Destination Guyana’ was listed among the best tourist destinations in Central and South America, and the Surama Village Eco- Lodge was highlighted in the magazine’s Stay List of Best Hotels in South America. This is in addition to our tourism product being featured in other regional and international publications, including, Caribbean Beat Perceptive Travel Online Magazine, and others.

Also, not so long ago, the Travel Channel aired an episode on Guyana, called “The Wild Within – Guyana”, as part of their TV series in March/ April 2011. The 45-minute piece showed host Steven Renella on his lifelong journey to reconnect with the wild within. He went on an expedition along the Rewa River, which the Tourism Ministry is working to promote as a sport fishing hotspot.

Guyana has already been featured and highlighted through shows like the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) three-part series, “The Lost Land of the Jaguar”, and popular United States’ reality television show “Reel and Birding Adventures”.

Also, in October, the much-anticipated BBC 10-part series called “Serious Explorers Raleigh”, retracing the footsteps of Sir Walter Raleigh for the fabled City of Gold, El Dorado, is expected to be released. Certainly, this is evidence that the word is beginning to spread and Guyana is getting the kind of recognition it deserves. In totality, all of this adds up to millions of US dollars in publicity, and it is only a matter of time before we begin to see the results of these high level exposures.

The Tourism Ministry must be commended for pursuing a forward- thinking approach to further develop the industry, and to create more awareness in order to effectively promote Guyana’s tourism product.

No doubt, the government is playing its role as a catalyst in the development of the industry by creating an enabling environment to help in the drive towards making Guyana a competitive tourist destination. However, as citizens, we must all play our part in ensuring the industry grows and succeeds.