KAIETEUR National Park attracted more visitors last year than the previous three years, a recent release, from the National  Parks Commission (NPC), disclosed.
The release said that visitor arrivals there were the highest last year since 2007, reflecting a growing attraction, to it,  as a popular tourist site, due to Guyana’s heightened international profile. The NPC said, the arrivals in 2007, when Guyana hosted a leg of the World Cup Cricket tournament, were 4,512.
But the number who visited the world renowned waterfalls dropped to 3,317 in 2008, rose to 4,032 in 2009 and moved up to  4,253 last year.
The release said, between 2001 and 2006, visitors numbered just over 2000 per year but the numbers have grown,  significantly, since 2007.
“This is clearly a reflection of the mounting interest in Guyana which has been boosted by the country’s role in  initiatives to combat global climate change and protect the environment,” NPC Chairman, Mr. Shyam Nokta remarked.
The release continued that Guyana is also becoming attractive as a tourism destination as the Government continues to  partner with private stockholders to develop the product.
It said Kaieteur National Park is a central attraction in Guyana’s rich blend of natural beauty and its flora, fauna and  wildlife have been major attractions for tourists.
In 2010, special emphasis was placed on the development of domestic tourism, resulting in it being a vehicle for promoting  national integration, the statement said, pointing out that the Government allocated funds and facilitated an environment  to ensure that this process continues.