— EUROPCAR GUYANA launched

ANOTHER amazing and much-needed feature has been added to Guyana’s tourism product,

with the launch Friday evening of EUROPCAR GUYANA, a collaboration between Europe Car Suriname and Wilderness Explorers.

The launch was held at the Woodbine Room, Cara Lodge Hotel, 294 Quamina Street, Georgetown, attracting a large gathering of keenly enthusiastic persons.
Among them were: Special Guest, Minister of Business and Tourism, Dominic Gaskin; Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) President, Andrea De Caires; former THAG President, Sean Mc Grath; Georgetown Chambers of Commerce (GCC) President, Vishnu Doerga; EUROPCAR Guyana Country Manager, JanVan Charante, (from Suriname) and other representatives of the tourism and private sectors.

EUROPCAR Guyana is a new and exclusive car rental service brought to Guyana by company T-Net, owned and operated by EUROPCAR Suriname for the last 11 years, according to Sean Mc Grath.

EUROPCAR was birthed in Paris, France, in 1949 and now operates in approximately 140 countries, covering Europe, North America and South America, Asia and Africa.
Introducing the service, Mc Grath said: “This launch in Guyana tonight brings car rental in Guyana to an entirely new level, as the standard of operation and method of delivery are very high and were set by EUROCAR International and have to be met and maintained in Guyana.”

He added that the vehicles provided are brand new and less than two years old.
The service offers a unique opportunity for travellers – both local and international — to secure an affordable European car rental, while travelling around the country and even as far as Suriname.
The service may be provided on a ‘drive yourself basis’, or a chauffeur is provided by

EUROPCAR Guyana.

EMERGENCY SERVICE
The company is also assuring that there will be a full 24-hour emergency and break-down service to respond to such eventualities.
“If per chance the car breaks down, just dial our 24-hr. emergency number and we will come and find you – no matter where you are,” McGrath said.
Bringing EUROPCAR to Guyana is a novel experience, and though not targeting exclusively tourists or the diaspora, it ideally equips and fortifies Guyana’s eco-tourism sector, with the kind of motor equipment, equal to the task of traversing the rugged hinterland terrain or other such challenges.

Their vehicles are fully equipped to venture out into the interior.
Mc Grath said Wilderness is especially happy to be partners with EUROPCAR being able to bring this much needed service to Guyana, “… providing a safe and comfortable ride as we take travellers on a journey to explore the rich biodiversity and cultural heritage of Guyana,” Mc Grath said.

Proud of what there is to offer, in the line of new durable top of the line vehicles available for lease or rental, Mc Grath declared, “With our new self-drive vehicles, all you have to do is jump behind the wheel of a EUROPCAR four-wheel-drive vehicle and head into Guyana’s rugged interior along the famous north-south road connecting Georgetown to Brazil and experiencing the deep rainforest of the Rupununi Savannah, with amazing wildlife sightings along the way – part of the Guyana Nature Experience – and at your own pace.”

Vehicles may be hired for short or long expertly guided tours. EUROPCAR GUYANA offers scheduled, on-demand, and customised itineraries to cover every interest and budget! Cars may be rented for one week, one month, one year as the case may be.
Choose from ‘Self-drive and escorted 4×4 adventures’ into the heart of Guyana and experience the thrill of taking off into the rugged interior of Guyana.

THAG President Andrea De Caires said that association truly applauds this initiative. She said that all over the world, more and more people want control over their travelling and if they have their own vehicle, they can go anywhere they want to; stop where they want to stop, see what they want to see.

GREAT INITIATIVE
To this end, she lauded the freedom of the self-drive initiative, adding: “It is a fantastic idea, knowing that you can now design your own trip with the help of Wilderness Tours. Now you have the opportunity to discover Guyana for yourself,” De Caires assured.
The President of THAG, on behalf of her association, welcomed EUROPCAR to Guyana and wished them well in their endeavours.

Country Manager for EUROPCAR Guyana, Jan Van Charante, noted the challenges experienced in connecting with Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana and the Amazon Rainforest years ago.
Meanwhile, Minister of Business with responsibility for Tourism, Dominic Gaskin, in extending a warm welcome to Country Manager Charante and the Surinamese delegation, encouraged them to explore more of what Guyana has to offer, surmising that the operation is about to bring a new standard of business to Guyana.

“My impression is that this operation is about to bring a new standard of business to that [the tourism sector] and one that perhaps is more on par with what prevails in the rest of the world,” the minister said.
Anticipating that there are a few hurdles they may have to cross, the minister nonetheless said: “I would like to assure you that the Government of Guyana is committed to prioritising the development of Guyana’s tourism sector. We feel it has the potential to make a major contribution to the good life that our Government has promised the Guyanese people,” Minister Gaskin concluded.