Botanical Gardens makes history as ‘Bird Sanctuary’
THE Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) are committed to the development of sustainable tourism and the conservation and protection of the country’s birds and other wildlife, minister with the sector portfolio, Mr. Manniram Prashad pledged last Friday. He gave the undertaking as he proudly declared the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown a ‘Bird Sanctuary’ and unveiled a plaque to mark the historic occasion.
The event was part of the programme to celebrate Tourism Awareness Month and, in the presence of top tourism officials and others with birding interests, Prashad explained the significance of the move.
He said: “We want to guarantee a safe haven for the birds of the Botanical Gardens and, in partnership with the National Parks Commission and the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society, I take great pleasure and pride in declaring the Botanical Gardens as a Birding Sanctuary, the first such sanctuary in Guyana.”
Prashad noted that bird watching is one of the fastest growing niche markets in the world and outdoor activity in the United States (U.S.) where, over 51 million people have reported to have gone on  bird-watching trips.
With this in mind, Guyana, with over 870 species, has been described as “the top new neo-tropical birding destination and one of the best birding spots in the world,” he disclosed.
According to him, bird watching is one of the most notable success stories in the country’s tourism sector and this is due to the ministry’s market-driven strategies and focus on it as a niche market, in collaboration with key partners, such as the United States Agency for International Development/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (USAIDS/GTIS), Wilderness Explorers and other stakeholders.
In light of the increased interest in the activity, a number of birding familiarisation (FAM) trips have been conducted, which brought some of the top bird-watching operators, magazines and ornithologists to Guyana, with over 30 major international companies selling bird-watching tours to the country, Prashad reported.
In addition, he said Guyana’s birding has been featured in a number of top publications and on international television programmes and the country has been represented at  the British Bird Watching Fair, the world’s largest such exhibition in  England each year, to help build its distribution network and to promote ‘ Destination Guyana’.
Minister Prashad also took the opportunity to announce that Guyana is now being mentioned and ranked with Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica and even South Africa has expressed interest in copying its bird-watching model and strategy.
In this regard, he reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to the promotion of sustainable tourism and conservation of Guyana’s flora and fauna.
The Botanical Gardens is an Important Birding Area in Guyana, with a land mass of 185 acres and over 189 bird species from 41 families.