GUYANA’S Minister of Tourism Catherine Hughes will on Sunday make a presentation to members of the yachting community, in Chaguramas, Trinidad and Tobago, as a flotilla of yachts is expected in Guyana in three weeks.
“The opportunity to meet with people from that community who are resident in French Guiana, Trinidad and other parts of the Caribbean is an important one,” the minister advised, as she updated the media yesterday her ministry’s current activities. The minister, who remains passionate about developing, and, more specifically, marketing Guyana as the ideal tourist destination, explained that there are tremendous advantages of yachting and this should be explored by Guyana.
“We know it’s a small niche market but the reality is, given the effects of climate change, even the locations within Trinidad are finding that they are dealing with extreme weather conditions. Therefore Guyana has the potential to be a safe haven for individuals who have yachts, and are looking to park them, in a safe destination and in a safe location”, the minister explained.
Minister Hughes advised that she met with two individuals who will also participate in the Trinidad meeting, and have expressed an interest in developing a marina in Guyana’s Essequibo River. “That means we would be able to handle yachts in terms of storage, the refurbishing, the cleaning and all other services associated with maintaining yachts. I think it’s another avenue that has the potential to hire staff, train individuals and contribute to the industry as a whole,” she explained.
The growth of the yachting industry worldwide has been fuelled by new products and technologies that have made yachting attractive to a much wider and older group of people, and by persons having increased amounts of leisure time.