Guyana’s tourism industry, which has immense potential, is gaining momentum slowly but surely and recently there has been an exciting development which could open another dimension in the tourism sector and that is yachting.

Recently , seven yachts graced our waterways including the ‘Follower Too’ owned by a couple, Peter Ward and Mariana Niehaus of Namibia; the ‘Sara’ – Ian Trail and his wife Glenys of the United Kingdom; the ‘Azimut’ – Ursula and Eckhardt Westphal from Germany/Austria; and the ‘Inguaz’ captained by Malte Onvlee from Germany/Argentina.
Interestingly these visitors expressed the view that Guyana is a safe haven for yachting and incidentally it is the first such gathering of yachting enthusiasts.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad noted that over the years a few yachts have been trickling in, but for the first time, so many yachts can be found in one place, which include persons from Germany, South Africa, Denmark, Argentina and London, adding, “so we are very happy that the yachting tourism has taken off.”

He said this is a small step but thinks “the yachting tourism is here in Guyana for the future” and the challenge now is to develop a boarding dock.
Also, he disclosed that Guyana is now in the Chris Doyle yachting guide with 46 pages dedicated to the yachting industry, and importantly, the government has made the mining town of Bartica an official port of entry.
Guyana is favoured for many reasons including being a safe haven during the hurricane season and that the waterways are safe, this certainly augurs well for tourism in Guyana because it is an advantage we have over many other Caribbean yachting destinations, and through ‘word of mouth’ will certainly help to promote Destination Guyana. But we cannot leave the promotion of Guyana’s tourism through such a medium only, rather, we have to embark on and aggressive, persistent and sustainable strategy.
Yachting as a sub-sector of the tourism sector could become a major player because globally it is on the rise and Guyana has to position itself to capitalise on and benefit from this growing market.
According to a report from the  2005 Strategic Plan for the Yachting Industry of Trinidad and Tobago the yachting industry is in a state of growth internationally.   With an increasing number of persons retiring early, and higher average incomes, there is an increasing amount of leisure time. Furthermore, a greater proportion of leisure time is now being spent in water-based activity.  The growth of the industry is also evident by the growth in the production of pleasure craft and mega- yachts in particular.  This increase in the number of recreational boats worldwide is creating additional strain on the existing infrastructure and the demand for marina space is increasing. The benefits of developing the yachting industry seem to outweigh the costs to a great extent and nations around the world are now investing significant amounts in additional infrastructure in an attempt to meet the increasing demand.  Regionally, the islands offer various yachting products including cruising destinations, charter boat bases, hurricane shelters/ storage and repair. However, changing weather patterns may cause an increasing number of yachts to come to Trinidad and Tobago for yacht repair and storage.
Now that we see another emerging opportunity through yachting we have to swiftly move to build capacity in the handling of this tourism sector because this area of tourism requires personnel with special training and skills as well as the requisite marine facilities.