BUSINESS ties between Guyanese and Brazilian tourism operators were recently strengthened following a networking conference in Boa Vista, Brazil, last week.

The two-day conference was organised by Visit Rupununi in collaboration with the Department of Tourism for Roraima in Brazil and the local arm of Conservation International,Guyana.
Visit Rupununi was established in 2015 as a membership-based organisation which would function as a destination-management organisation (DMO) to market the services of its members, offering support through training and capacity-building and representing The Rupununi as a whole.
According to the organisers,the conference was regarded, by participants, as a timely and significant step in developing the cross-border tourism sectors in Guyana’s Region Nine and its neighbouring state Roraima in Brazil.
A press release from the organisers stated that approximately 75 participants with representatives from the private sector, public sector and communities/civil society attended.
The event consisted of presentations and information-sharing sessions and a business networking round-table. The objectives of the mission were to create greater awareness of the Rupununi and its potential in Brazil, to develop a better understanding of the needs and interests of the Brazilian market and to identify opportunities for networking and cross-border tourism business development, the organisers stated.
During the conference, both countries highlighted challenges which needed to be overcome in order to facilitate tourism development. From the Guyana side, these included limited information on Guyana and The Rupununi; expensive travel costs; the language barrier; policy regulations in relation to cross-border movement of people and vehicles and the state of the Lethem to Linden road. More than identifying the challenges, the conference was seen as a starting point for dialogue with national stakeholders to develop action plans to address these areas.
However, in spite of these challenges, Roraima tour operators and officials have signalled their intention to work with Visit Rupununi to build partnerships in promoting tourism development in both regions.
Further, as another result of this collaboration, Visit Rupununi and its affiliated tourism operators were invited by their Brazilian counterparts to share an exhibition booth with Roraima at the 44th International Tourism Fair organised by the Brazilian Travel Agencies Association ABAV) in São Paulo at the end of September. ABAV is the entity with the biggest tourism representation in Brazil.
In the meantime, Visit Rupununi is planning to host a Familiarisation Trip at the end of August throughout the Rupununi for tour operators from Roraima, who have indicated a strong interest in including the region as part of their tourism packages.
This familiarisation activity will enable Brazilian operators to learn about and understand the Guyana and Rupununi products they intend to market as part of their packages. In addition, Brazilian officials and Visit Rupununi representatives began talks to explore the establishment of a tourist information centre in the border town of Bonfim.
On the first day of the event presentations were made by tour operators from both Guyana and Brazil. Representing Guyana’s Rupununi region were tour operators Ron Allicock, of Ron Allicock Birding Tours; Melanie McTurk of Karanambu Lodge; Jacqueline Allicock of Surama Eco-Lodge; Jonathan Joseph, of Ariwa Beach; Kayla De Freitas and Leroy Ignacio of Rupununi Trails and Rupununi Eco Hotel, Daniel Gajie.
Each operator developed various aspects of the Rupununi product which included Community-Based Tourism; Nature-based tourism; Adventure Tourism and Bird-Watching.
Moreover, representing the Brazilian side of the market were tour operators Joaquim Magno de Souza of Roraima Adventures and Francisco Diniz of Makunaima Expedições, as well as Professor of Tourism Studies Dr. Ismar Borges de Lima who analysed the challenges and opportunities for cross-border tourism.
During the event, it was explained by Brazilian operators that their current customers want to explore additional tourism markets. These markets included Spiritual Tourism (reconnecting with nature) and Gastronomic tourism (tasting cultural dishes unique to a country). Guyana’s unique and diverse cultures and the Rupununi’s distinct natural environment and indigenous cultures were outlined as attractions that can support both markets.
It was discussed that interest in The Rupununi came particularly from southern parts of Brazil,such as São Paulo. “We have a scenario where we can show Guyana to the Brazilian people who want to be part of this market,” said de Souza.
Both tour operators also highlighted the eagerness of their customers to explore new destinations such as Guyana.
According to the tourism professionals, interest in Guyana has arisen due to the economic and political turmoil in Venezuela, a once popular destination for Brazilians. In addition, Brazilians also want to see more of their country and states such as Roraima in collaboration with Guyana are in an opportune position to supply that demand.
Thus, Shopping Tourism and Community-Based Tourism are becoming more attractive avenues for Brazilian travellers.
Further, Dr De Lima commended efforts in broadening tourism markets on both sides of the border. However, he stated that language barriers have to be broken on both sides for success to truly happen. “People on sides of the border need to speak both languages,” said the tourism professor.
On that note, there was an informal proposal by the Vice-Consul of Brazil to Guyana, Lisa Mary Dos Reis, to explore opportunities in developing a language-training programme focused on youngsters that would benefit both countries specifically in the frontier municipalities of Lethem, Bonfim and Boa Vista.
The event was supported by Conservation International- Guyana under the “Leveraging Natural Capital in Guyana’s Rupununi” project being implemented by the organisation. This project is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) – Multi- lateral Investment Fund (MIF) to create and strengthen sustainable local-level, community-based enterprises with a focus on nature-based tourism and agriculture, which have been indicated as the most adequate to foster sustainable development in the region.