In 2010…..
– visitor arrivals increased
TOURISM has evolved notably over the years as Government continues to invest in Guyana which has been branded the Amazon adventure. This has since seen the country being propelled into the international spotlight as a country with vast, viable and unique eco-tourism potential. Its rich blend of natural beauty, and its flora, fauna and wild life have been major attractions for tourists.
In 2010, special emphasis was placed on the development of domestic tourism resulting in it becoming a vehicle for promoting national integration. Government allocated funds and facilitated an environment to ensure that this progress continued.

Domestic Tourism
A series of exciting, rich, diverse cultural events was held in 2010, providing the perfect opportunity for thousands of tourists and locals to experience Guyana’s unique blend of customs.
This has paved the way for significant increase in visitor arrivals with a recorded 6.3 percent increase in 2010, when compared to 2009.
Over the years, there has been several initiatives aimed at developing and promoting tourism as the country’s natural beauty remains pristine.

GuyExpo 2010
Guyana’s premier trade show and exhibition, GuyExpo 2010, was deemed a success by many, as thousands of visitors crowded the Sophia Exhibition Centre nightly to view local products and services on display.
Exhibitors from a range of sectors, including aquaculture, manufacturing, agriculture and services were among the many who exhibited their products and services during the event. The largest trade fair, which is known to attract thousands of people from across the country and further afield, began in 1995 as a bi-annual event, but became annual in 2004.
It serves as an effective marketing tool which enables persons to be better aware of the country’s products.

While traditional activities were the centre of attraction, Guyana also welcomed 22-year-old American adventurer, Katie Spotz , who arrived after more than 70 days of rowing in the Atlantic Ocean. Her journey commenced from Dakar, Senegal, and ended in Guyana.
Spotz was able to raise funds which will go to countries that are deprived of safe and healthy drinking water. She is the youngest person to ever row solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the only American to do so from Africa to South America.

Capacity building
To improve the standard and quality and to raise the level of services provided to customers, the Guyana Tourism Authority in November collaborated with Wilderness Explorers to conduct a city tour guide training as part of a series of initiatives to mark Tourism Awareness Month 2010.
Training sessions in culinary and bookkeeping for South Rupununi villagers, and frontline training for Customs and Immigration at the Moleson Creek and the Takutu River Bridge Crossings, were also done.
In addition, taxi drivers and dispatchers were trained in an effort to improve services and standards provided.

Investments
Since the commissioning of the Takutu Bridge and the signing of various accords that have facilitated economic cooperation, there has been greater access to locally manufactured products, resulting in Guyana emerging as a prospective growth centre.
Government has also been nurturing this potential, so that Region Nine’s promising economy is materializing. Investment in Lethem has been growing rapidly as the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce continues to ensure that tourism awareness is heightened
Guyana’s tourism industry has come a long way and is continually expanding to offer more options to visitors. Much work is being done by Government in partnership with several private sector bodies to develop different areas of tourism to attract more tourists to Guyana’s shores.
With the completion of the Berbice bridge linking Regions Five and Six, and the Takutu bridge linking Guyana and Brazil, these will create easier access to some of Guyana’s prime attractions.

Capital Projects
Under the ministry’s capital projects, new facilities were constructed in an effort to further enhance the outlook of the No. 63 beach, Berbice. The works include the construction of four benabs, four lavatory facilities and changing rooms.
In addition, 30 directional identification signs from Linden, Region Ten to Lethem, Region Nine were erected.

Cruise ships
The country has increasingly been attracting cruise ships with passengers seeking to explore some of Guyana’s amazing destinations. In April, ‘Clelia 2’, an international cruise ship on its maiden voyage, docked in Guyana with approximately 142 persons.
Other vessels that visited Guyana include:- the MV ‘VISTAMAR’ which docked in Guyana with 241 passengers, the MV ‘Spirit of Adventure’,  ‘Minerva II’ with over 800 tourists, the Clipper Adventurer’ which had over 100 visitors, and the ‘MV Hanseatic’.

Sport fishing
As tourism continues to develop, more focus is placed on the promotion of domestic and heritage tourism throughout the country.  The ‘Rockstone Fish Festival’ is one such added to the list of tourist attractions. This attracted thousands of international and local participants giving a tremendous boost to the area’s tourism development.

Government has recognised the important role areas such as Rockstone play in tourism development and continues to focus attention on marketing and promoting them.
Minister Prashad also met with representatives from Ocean Research and Costa Del Mar to further develop sport fishing.

Bird watching
Promotional activities in the past have been centred on Guyana’s majestic Kaieteur Falls; but today the administration has adopted a holistic approach to include other areas in the sector, hence sport fishing and bird watching.
For many, Guyana is seen as a birding paradise, since the country is divided into three distinct areas, the coastlands, the rainforest and the savannahs.
As such, international magazines are now touting Guyana as one of the best birding tourism destinations in the world, and are comparing the country with Peru and Ecuador, viable birding destinations.
A group of eight birding and natural history tour operators, journalists, and photographers from the United States, the United Kingdom and South America, also experienced some of the country’s natural wonders during a birding familiarization tour.
Currently there are over 830 species of birds in Guyana, with 200 species in Georgetown alone.
The Botanical Gardens in Georgetown, Iwokrama Forest Reserve, the Rupununi savannah around Surama and Annai, and the savannah and riverine forest around Karanambu are the main birding destinations.
Guyana attended the annual bird watching fair in England and the China expo, and received overwhelming response from agencies that now plan to sell the country’s product.