– commissions resort, gas station
With the establishment of the Takutu Bridge, the country’s tourism progress will move at a faster pace and tourism potential of the Rupununi region can now be realised since the Kanuku and Pakaraima Mountains, the sprawling savannahs, the water falls and the flora and fauna of the area will now have the attention they deserve.

One of the cabins of Atta Eco Tourism Lodge.

Guyana is ready and open for business, having gained the confidence of investors, and this is reflected in the investments to boost tourism in Region Nine that came into operation after they were commissioned by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, on November 28 and 29.

Atta Eco Tourism Lodge
In light of Tourism Awareness Month, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has been carrying out numerous exercises which will help to promote local tourism.

Minister Prashad joined with the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) in celebrating the first phase of the Atta Eco Tourism Lodge, in proximity of the Iwokrama Rainforest Protected area which is now rehabilitated with eight spacious, rustic rooms that can accommodate 16 persons.

Minister Prashad stated that the facilities are improving and that tourists can now be in the middle of ‘nowhere’, to see the jungle and experience the wildlife. He noted that birding and bird spotting is an ideal pastime in areas like the Rupununi.

Minister Prashad and a couple from the United Kingdom who are serving as volunteer caretakers of the Atta Eco Tourism Lodge.

He urged that Guyanese understand the purpose of having a ‘stay-cation’ and enjoy Guyana’s natural beauty instead of touring other Caribbean countries because Guyana has much to offer.

Minister Prashad stated that experiencing Guyana in its full splendour has always been a key feature of the activities planned for the observance of tourism awareness month and tourists will be given the opportunity of a lifetime to experience the picturesque view of the beautiful flora and fauna when they visit the Canopy Walkway at Iwokrama which is 30 metres above ground.

The Minister also met the lodge’s present caretakers, a couple from the United Kingdom who came with a “fam” tour in April. The couple, having fallen in love with what Guyana has to offer the rest of the world in the area of bird watching, decided to volunteer six months of their lives to the Atta lodge. The Minister expressed his gratitude to the couple for their dedication to the hospitality and tourism sector in Guyana.

Takutu Gas Station commissioned
Lethem has recorded numerous achievements over the past years with the continued establishment of modernised facilities which benefit residents and attract tourists.

Minister Prashad surveying development plans in Lethem, while in Region 9 for 2009 Rupununi Expo.

Minister Prashad, at the opening of a new service station by the Johnson family, stated that the region has a special place in President Bharrat Jagdeo’s heart and that Government is pleased with the rapid development taking place, namely the coming on stream of the Takutu bridge, seven new hotels now being built, and this, the third fuel station erected in Lethem.

The gas station is another initiative by the Johnson family who owns a 27- room guest house as well as other businesses in the Lethem community.

The Tourism Minister said that the fuel stations should have friendly competition and complement each other and bring quality service to the public.

He posited that Government has seen a lot of improvements in the roads, hospitals, and schools in Lethem and that every visit he has made to date has been marked with an achievement of some kind.

Minister Prashad stated that over 50 plots of land have been allocated to the Commercial sector in Lethem, since the area is attracting more investment as it develops. He urged the residents of Lethem to continue their hard work and pool their skills and resources for the future development of their region.

He said there was a time when it would take days to get into Lethem, when the roads were impassable; but Government has put a significant amount of money. It has pledged to allocate more to improve the roads.

Most of the bridges have been completed and strengthened so that there will be numerous businesses flourishing along the trails; and gas stations, and supply stores will be opened for miners.

The Ministry has already increased efforts to encourage more Brazilians to take the opportunity of visiting Guyana since the area has great potential for tourism.

Marketing activities have already commenced in partnership with the Guyana Tourism Authority and Chambers of Commerce in Boa Vista and Lethem.

An area has been earmarked in the multi-purpose complex for the Ministry where a tourism extension officer and a representative of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards will be stationed.

The Minister took time out to view the outlying Oasis Restaurant which is truly an oasis in the vast outlying savannahs leading up to Lethem, and to open the two-day Rupununi expo. (GINA)