MINISTER of Tourism, Mr. Manniram Prashad, has deemed 2009 a very successful and eventful year for tourism in Guyana.

He highlighted partnerships, with the Government and the industry commitment to stimulating and boosting tourism in an uncertain economic climate.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Prashad said: “We embarked on a strategy of realising our potential.”

He pointed out that tourism creates employment, brings in foreign currency, generates revenue, encourages and attracts investments, fosters infrastructural developments and cottage industries, helps to improve livelihoods and the standard of living while providing opportunities for relaxation, exploration, leisure and enjoyment, as well as boosting and enhancing Guyana’s image.

“Tourism is growing and expanding and 2009 has seen excellent returns on investment. It is the industry of the future,” Prashad declared.

Detailing key tourism objectives, priorities and deliverables that were achieved during last year, he said it was record breaking for arrivals, with 8.8 per cent more than 2008 at the end of November.

Prashad said the year also broke records in the months, with the best ever being April, July, September, October, November and December.

He alluded to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) report which showed that, of the four countries, including Jamaica, Cuba and Saba, that recorded increases in arrivals at the end of October, Guyana showed the highest and expressed optimism that 2009 will achieve the most arrivals for any year.

Prashad said ‘Destination Guyana’ continues to attract more and more attention, with its immense ecological and adventure tourism potential and, compared to 2008, in January, there was a seven per cent rise; 21.8 per cent in February; 5.8 per cent decline in March; 11.5 per cent increase in April; 7.7 per cent increase in May; 18.8 per cent increase in June; 20 per cent in July; a 4.2 per cent in August; 0.2 per cent in September and 3.6 per cent in October.

He disclosed that the main markets are the United States, accounting for 54.6 per cent arrivals, Caribbean 19.6 per cent and Canada 16.6 per cent.

MORE GUYANESE
Prashad said first time arrivals have also increased and more Guyanese are visiting their homeland.

“This record breaking visitors’ arrival points to visitors’ confidence in Guyana, as well as the success of the marketing initiatives and programmes of the Ministry, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Private Sector,” he commented.

Prashad said Guyana was represented at the International Trade Bourst (ITB) in Berlin, Germany (the world’s largest travel trade show); the World Trade Market (WTM) in London and British Birdwatching Fair, also in England; Suriname Trade Fair; Adventure in Travel Expo in New York; Guyana Independence Festival in Toronto, Canada and Caribbean Week in New York.

He said the representatives also met with travel agents and investors in Toronto and tour operators in Florida and attended events and entertainment fora.

Prashad revealed that 45 international tour companies are pro-actively selling Destination Guyana.

“This sales distribution network is critical to tourism development and growth,” he acknowledged.

Prashad emphasised that some of the largest companies selling Destination Guyana include Saga Holidays, Wildlife Worldwide, Bird Holidays, Travelling Naturalists, American Birding Society, Ecoventures, Geographic Expeditions, Mass Audubon Tours, Manu Expeditions and Naturetrek and familiarisation (FAM) tours for tour operators, journalists, researchers and conservationists were conducted.

He said the FAM ventures are important for creating and increasing market demand for Destination Guyana and selected companies are invited to sample the country’s tourism product and hospitality, on trips that have been very successful and yielded very high returns for investment.

Prashad said excellent travel stories on Guyana were provided to help raise the destination profile and it is through FAM tours that this country gets into the international travel sales catalogues.

DOMESTIC EVENTS
He said, for the several local FAM trips that were organised, his ministry and GTA offered prizes to various tourist attractions for domestic events.

Prashad noted that China, Holland and Brazil are emerging, strategic markets and Guyana is well positioned to penetrate them.

He said Guyana was granted approved destination status (ADS) by China in September 2009 and will be participating in the Shanghai Expo that will be staged from June to November 2010.

Additionally, it is collaborating with Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil to provide multi-destination tourism in those countries.

Prashad recalled that Guyana hosted the fifth technical committee meeting of the Association of Caribbean Tourism Organisations (ACTO) in November to culminate Tourism Awareness Month that was themed ‘Promoting Quality and Sustainable Tourism in Guyana”.

He said Guyana is an Amazonian country and closer collaboration with its South American neighbours is vital for realising its continental destiny.

“The Amazon is unique and its significance has implications for climate change and global warning,” Pr
ashad said, adding that ACTO’s objectives are to increase awareness of it as a geo-tourism destination and promote travel to and within it.

He said, at the ACTO meeting, Guyana offered to include the low carbon development strategy (LCDS) on their agenda and Guyana and Suriname are cooperating to participate at Vakantiebeurs Trade and Travel Fair in Holland, this month.

Prashad said the Amazon was nominated as one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is a finalist.

He said Destination Guyana received excellent coverage in the international travel press and that exposure is valued about US$2.5M for 2009.

Some of the publications were in Daily Telegraph (Guyana – A Journey into the Jurassic); Americas Magazine (Climate for Conservation); Wanderlust Magazine (In God’s Garden}; Weedon’s World (a bird watching article); Birdwatch Magazine (Guyana – the next big neotropical birding destination); Travel Mail (Falling for glorious Guyana) and Lime Magazine (Going Wild in Guyana).

Prashad also mentioned the excellent work of President Bharrat Jagdeo, as the ambassador promoting the LCDS.

INCREASING DEMAND
The Minister said his ministry and GTA are looking at increasing demand at home because ‘Staycation’ (domestic tourism) is crucial to the success of any destination.

He said the ability of Guyanese to travel, explore and discover their own country was encouraged, facilitated and promoted throughout the year and 2009 was a record year for domestic tourism promotions, as thousands of nationals travelled to various destinations, attractions and events within Guyana.

Prashad said notable events and places included the Orealla Regatta, Cow Falls, Wanatoba, Mahdia, Moruca, Wakenaam Expo, Jonestown Memorial Service, Rockstone Fish Festival, the largest Pakaraima Mountain Safari, Bartica and Lake Mainstay regattas, Kaieteur Specials by Rainforest Tours, Roraima, Wings, Wonderland Tours and the Duck Curry competitions.

He also identified sporting activities, such as horse racing, motor racing, cricket and football attracted people and the Rupununi Rodeo and Expo, GuyExpo and Berbice Expo, Main Big Lime and Jamzone.

Prashad listed the following:
* Birdwatching – Guyana is now being compared with Peru and Ecuador and is the hottest new bird watching destination with over 830 species and new finds. Guyana has gained a lot of international attention and several international companies are proactively selling bird watching tours to Guyana.

* Eco tourism – with the largest pristine tract of tropical forests, high species biodiversity, amazing wildlife, pristine rivers, mountain ranges, savannahs, wetlands, indigenous communities with low carbon lifestyle, Guyana has become a hotspot and a new sought after destination for the eco tourists.

* Adventure tourism – mountain climbing, trekking, canoeing, jungle survival, jungle trails, the Safari, river trips, fishing, cattle ranches, wildlife watching, rapids, flora and fauna along with pristine rainforests make Guyana a paradise for the adventure seekers, and to this end, the Ministry re-branded the destination as ‘Guyana – the Amazon Adventure’.

* Wildlife watching – Guyana is known for its rich and viewable wildlife and tourists’ are fascinated by the amazing diversity found here. Guyana is known for the giants of South America/Amazon – Harpy Eagle, Anaconda, Black Caiman, Arapaima, Giant Ant Eater, Jaguar, Victoria Amazonia (Lily).

* Community-based tourism – more communities are turning to tourism as a sustainable means of livelihood and employment. Two communities received international awards and recognition – Surama, Fairview and Yupukari. The ministry also awarded Whyaka and Yupukari for their work in community-based tourism. Orealla, St. Ignatius, St. Cuthbert, Santa Mission, Tri Lake, Rewa, Surama, Yupukari, Nappi, Aranaputa, Konashen, Fair View, Rockstone, Karasabai, Kato, Monkey Mountain, are all thriving and developing community-based tourism products.

NATURAL FIT
* Agro tourism – this is a natural fit with tourism and this niche market is being developed with the help of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Farm based experience such as fishing, picking fruits, farm stay, camping, cooking, etc, are being promoted at Rockview, Whyaka and Splashmin’s Resort.

* Sports fishing – this has tremendous potential and filming and promotion has been done by Reel Adventures of the U.S., and Rewa has been identified as one of the top spots for sports fishing. A sport fishing plan is being developed and several investors have expressed an interest in investing in the area along with the community.

* Sports tourism – cricket, motor racing, football, horse racing, hockey, rugby, swimming and such attracts a lot of visitors and teams, and Guyana participated in CARICOM’s regional consultation on Sports tourism development in Barbados, and more emphasis is being placed on marketing and promotion of sports.

* Business tourism – Guyana is fast becoming an attractive meeting and conferences destination and hosted several international and regional meetings, and conferences.

* Yachting/cruising – Guyana welcomed the cruise ship ‘Spirit of Adventure’ this year and the ministry and GTA are working with the private sector at attracting more small and medium sized cruise liners who are looking for new destinations.

* Safe haven for yachts – yachts continue to arrive in especially the Essequibo river, whilst, several came up in the Demerara river.

* Volunteer tourism – more focus is being placed on this by targeting volunteers such as experts, conservationists, birding specialists, hospitality specialists, researchers, students and biologists, to volunteer their time in Guyana to benefit from their
services, research and capacity building and training provided in exchange for satisfying work experiences and a holiday. Already a British couple is attached to Iwokrama Atta Lodge and volunteers at Surama, Bina Hill and Rewa and others in Rupununi.

* Multi–destination promotion – promoting tours to Guyana in partnership with Brazil and Suriname, and several new itineraries have been created.

BENEFICIARY ENTITIES
He said, to improve hospitality service and skills, 600 persons were trained in the industry and at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, assuring that the beneficiary entities are committed to training and capacity building.

Among the beneficiaries were Customs and Immigration officers, airport security, taxi drivers, waiters and waitresses, hotels staff, tour guides, events managers and bed and breakfast operators.

Prashad said the in house staffers of GTA also derived benefit and were sent to workshops overseas. They included Ms. Anarie Shiwram, Product Development Officer/Tourism Officer, who participated in the regional consultation on the development of the sports tourism sector with emphasis on Small and Medium Enterprises; Mr. Lokeraj Rupnarain, Information Technology (IT) Officer and Web Administrator/Tourism Officer, who attended a regional training workshop on tourism survey management, statistical data collection, analysis and the estimation of visitor spending and Ms. Carla James-Chandra, Statistics Research/Tourism Officer, who took part in an Organisation of American States (OAS) workshop on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Caribbean tourism industry.

He said that community-based tourism is a new growth niche market and several communities, especially in the hinterland, taking advantage of it are well poised and positioned to offer tourists unique experiences and memorable and satisfying holidays.

Prashad said examples of communities that his ministry and GTA are working with, at a product development level, are Surama, Fairview, Annai, Aranaputa, Lethem, Rewa, Nappi, Orealla, Rockstone, Whyaka, Santa Mission, Moruca, Mahdia, Yupukari, Port Kaituma, Wakenaam and Linden.

He posited that Guyana is now a more popular and known destination, as a result of excellent and effective marketing, promotions and leveraging of international coverage.

Alluding to the boosting of investments in tourism related activities, he said, for creating demands and offering satisfying and unique experiences, 2009 has seen a number of new ones, including new guest facilities at Kaieteur National Park and Tukeit; Princess Hotel and Casino; Pegasus Hotel with new local ownership; new resorts at Mahaica Creek and Demerara River, new tours and itineraries; new community events and expanded community based tourism at Rewa, Yupukari, Nappi, Aranaputa, Orealla, Whyaka/Tri Lake.

Prashad said better infrastructure to support tourism is vital for access, safety, comfort, convenience and helps to lower costs and, in that regard, 2009 saw several important infrastructural developments and added world class visitors experience with the Berbice River Bridge, Takutu River Bridge, Ogle International Airport, improvement in water transport and coastal road networks.

In addition, there has been improvement in air access, as accessibility and airlift to a destination is directly related to visitor arrival numbers and creating tourism demand, he said.

AIR ACCESS
Prashad said his ministry and GTA are committed to improving air access and are working closely with selected carriers and investors to increase airlift to the country.

Towards that objective, Sky Services has been operating during the peak season with direct flights from Canada, Delta conducting non-stop flights from New York and several new, small airplanes have been acquired by local airlines.

Prashad said, in enhancing the capacity of Government to plan and coordinate tourism sector development, Guyana has been participating in Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) organised events and trade shows; formulation and implementation of the National Competitiveness Strategy; creating and approving regulations for the accommodation sector, tour operators, resorts, lodges and tour guides; creation of standards for bed and breakfast providers; implementation of best practices for tourism; institutional strengthening of GTA and the ministry; collaboration and partnership with the Private Sector, non-governmental organisations and the diplomatic community.

He said other areas are the implementation of Management Information System for Tourism (MIST), to assist in analysing arrival data and make decisions and the implementing of the exit survey at Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

Prashad said, to strengthen Private Sector tourism operations, his ministry and GTA continue to enjoy an excellent relationship with the former, as they are the pulse of the industry and the visitor experience.

He said several key initiatives and collaborative efforts have helped to strengthen and improve their operations, such as facilitation at international and regional trade shows, organising FAM trips and including them on the itineraries; hosting and facilitating travel writers to write about their tourism attractions and events; industry training and capacity building; supporting domestic tourism; information sharing and advice; implementation of tourism regulations; facilitation of duty free concessions for tourism investment and expansion and participating in launching ‘Explore Guyana’ magazine and ‘Guyana Where and What’.

Prashad said thousands of information packages have been distributed to potential visitors in key markets, with brochures, maps, posters, magazines and DVDs, locally, regionally and internationally.

He said website marketing has been done, providing information on Destination Guyana to assist with travel planning and destination awareness through GTA’s and social marketing tools, such as blogs and advertising on Caribbean Airlines flight videos.