Overseas couples wanting to get married in Guyana may be thwarted by the delay in acquiring their marriage certificate.
This was according to the Director General of the Tourism Department, Donald Sinclair during the launching of the 10th annual Wedding Expo on Friday evening at Roraima Duke Lodge, Duke Street, Kingston.
He stated that the process of acquiring a marriage licence could be a setback for couples coming to Guyana to get married and may be the reason why Guyana is not listed as a tourist destination for weddings.
The Director General however noted that the Tourism Ministry is working closely with the Citizenship Ministry to resolve this issue and more so, to reduce the amount of time a couple has to wait before receiving their certificates.
Sinclair said the law requires a newly wedded couple to spend 14 days in Guyana before the marriage certificate is acquired.
“We need to pay attention to the legislation which will make it more attractive for persons to get married here, that in itself has been a setback for many years so now we need to look at it from a tourism standpoint,” Sinclair said.
Nevertheless, he noted that if the destination idea is taken much more seriously, Guyana can grow as a wedding destination.
Brainchild of the event, Captain Gerald Gouveia, while delivering his address urged Government to change the legislation highlighted by Sinclair.
“People leave to go to Jamaica to get married, people leave to go The Dominican Republic to get married; those countries are beautiful but Guyana is amazing, imagine getting married at the Kaieteur Falls or at Orinduk Falls or in the Rupununi or at Baganara. Young people would love to come to Guyana to get married but can’t so we are using this Wedding Expo as a platform to urge the Government to look into the legislation,” Gouveia noted.
Gouveia further stated that Guyana has the potential to become one of the most sought after destinations in the Caribbean, while noting that certain framework has to be set.
The Wedding Expo, he noted, has been one of such events that can showcase Guyana as one of those destinations over Jamaica – a country where couples flock to get married due to the fact they do not have to wait a long time to acquire their certificates.
The three-day affair was launched with great pomp and high expectations with over 40 exhibitors on show.
The expo is being used as a vehicle to provide yet another opportunity for a couple to get married under the spotlight.
