MORE than 200 patrons attended the opening of the Guyana Trade and Tourism Expo in New York, and were more than thrilled by the energetic and entertaining cultural performances that heralded the expo, held from June 28-30.

The Fitzgerald Stadium in New York came alive last Friday evening as Guyanese music filled the air and the aromas of local food wafted about, welcoming the throngs that came to see the display of craft, products, food and fashion.
Many were captivated by the colourful displays in the isles, as each exhibitor sought to display his/her company’s logos in grand style, with banners of green, red, yellow, blue and a kaleidoscope of other colours adorning the venue.
Addressing the gathering at the opening ceremony, acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali, extended warm greetings and expressed gratitude that the patrons took the time to visit the event. He invited them to participate in the many sweepstakes and activities planned for the occasion.
“Today we join all of our brothers and sisters back home in sharing a piece of your country with you and the many opportunities that you can be part of. That is why we brought this Trade and Tourism Expo here. We believe that we have a strong tourism product,” Minister Ali announced.
He also spoke of the record year in arrivals last year, when Guyana was leading the 32- member Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) countries in arrivals with several record-breaking months.
To expound further on the developments sweeping the nation, the Tourism Minister noted that Guyana has moved from a destination with 700 hotel rooms to having more than 3000 rooms, excluding the accommodation at the Marriott Hotel, which is currently under construction.
“In addition, we will be having a new airport and more than $32B has been invested in the improvement of infrastructure to develop the industry. Major investors are turning to Guyana as they realise that have the opportunity to expand their business.
“We want all Guyanese to be part of the transformational process. We want to take this opportunity to say that home is awaiting you, and we want you to be part of the future Guyana. I want to assure you that we have a bright future ahead,” the Tourism Minister elaborated.
Vice President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mr. Christopher Nascimento, also spoke of the investment climate in Guyana, and reiterated the minister’s call for more Guyanese to return home.
“We need every one of you to partner with us and to return home to invest and retire. You are our partners, and we are your partners, so let us join together,” he stated.
Tourism Brand Ambassador and Veteran Guyanese cricketer, Sir Clive Lloyd, also spoke of the developments in Guyana, and also called for more persons to witness the developments taking place.
The expo opened at 09:00hrs last Friday morning, and by the 21:00hrs closing time, the venue was still overflowing with patrons, all wanting a chance to glimpse the displays and experience the authentic products.
For many patrons, the nostalgic nature of the expo provided the incentive to visit; and for others, it offered the chance to network and to meet industry representatives on hand with important investment, housing, travel and tax information.
The Guyanese business representatives who had travelled to New York for the show all lauded the organisers and pointed to the massive exposure that such an activity would provide, considering it spanned several days and attracted thousands of visitors.