Acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali has called on all Guyanese to become tourism ambassadors of Guyana as the Ministry seeks to create lasting impressions on visitors.
The Minister issued the call on Friday at the launch of the Guyana Festival at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Geogetown.
“We are hoping to bring home thousands of Guyanese and to bring in thousands of our brothers and sisters, all across the globe to celebrate with us the wonderful history and culture of ours,” Ali stated.
He said the event is indeed a tourism endeavour, but it also has a very important business aspect, which will become an integral part of the Ministry’s tourism drive.
Ali noted that the festival will be celebrating everything Guyanese. “It’s our rich culture that sets us apart from the rest; six cultures fused together by the independence of one people, a colourful adventure that is a melting pot for all our cultures, brewed together by unity,” Minister Ali stated.
The Guyana Festival will see a mixture of the country’s traditional music, dance, food, arts and craft being exhibited at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, on August 8 to 10.
This three-day event, which will be marketed in North America and the Caribbean, is aimed at bringing awareness of Guyana’s diverse cultural heritage, and generally the nature of its tourism product locally, regionally and internationally.
On Saturday, August 9, there will be a night for local legends which will see renowned celebrities such as Dave Martins, Sammy Baksh, Eddy Grant, and Terry Gajraj performing. There will also be a day set aside for games and will see various communities coming out to compete in cricket, football and other sport with the aim of winning trophies and other prizes.
The event will culminate with a culinary cook-off competition of traditional Guyanese cuisine, such as duck curry, pepper pot, cook-up, metemgee and black cake, followed by a grand concert aimed at promoting the next generation of Guyana’s music industry and help to develop new/young talent. Performing will be Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo, Adrian Dutchin, Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts and others.
