GUYANA has, once again, got a major boost to its unique tourism product, by being featured in the National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s ‘50 tours of a lifetime’.
The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce said the publication was in the April edition of ‘Destination Guyana’, among the best tours in Central and South America. A Ministry release said a 16-day itinerary, offered by Wilderness Explorers, introduced visitors to the rich culture and pristine environment of Guyana, focusing on places like Surama, Rewa, Nappi and Yupukari in the Rupununi.
Surama Village Eco-Lodge, in North Rupununi, is listed in April’s ‘Stay List of Best Hotels in South America’ and Minister of Tourism, Mr. Manniram Prashad said it is certainly an indication of growth in the industry and speaks magnitude about the destination.
He added that Guyana is, certainly, on the map and continues to attract more and more attention, with its immense ecological, nature and adventure tourism potential.
In light of this, Prashad noted that such exposure will help raise the destination profile and create more awareness for Guyana, which is part of his ministry’s and Guyana Tourism Authority’s aggressive strategy.
He said they will continue to encourage and attract more international travel writers, filming crews and host familiarisation tours.
The release said, in 2011, this country has been promoted in regional and international publications, such as Caribbean Beat, Perceptive Travel Online Magazine (Humble in the Jungle – Exploring Guyana’s Rainforest) by Laurie Gough; ‘Kaieteur–Guyana is the New Amazon’ listed in UK Stylist Magazine: 2011 Hottest Destinations; the Scotsman Travel by John Gimlette and in the CNN article ‘Adventures of the female Indiana Jones’.
Additionally, Travel Channel aired an episode on Guyana called ‘The Wild Within – Guyana’ as part of its television March/April 2011 series.
The 45 minutes show was hosted by Steven Renella on his lifelong journey to reconnect with the wild within during an expedition along the Rewa River.
Minister Prashad also reminded that Guyana has already been highlighted through shows like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) three-part series, ‘The Lost Land of the Jaguar’ and popular United States (U.S.) reality television show ‘Reel and Birding Adventures’.
He said, last month, a group of Trinidad and Tobago travel writers and tour operators came on a familiarisation (FAM) trip to Guyana, which, recently, copped the Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award jointly with Harrison’s Cave in Barbados.