VISITOR arrivals for the first two months of 2019 have increased by 6.4 per cent when compared to the corresponding period last year.

According to the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), 21,999 persons travelled to Guyana in January 2019, an increase, when compared to 19,635 recorded in January 2018. In the case of last February, 20,771 visitors were recorded compared to 20,541 last year.
“Just so you are aware of the process, we use the ED Cards arrivals filled out at the main ports of entry (CJIA, Ogle, Lethem and Moleson Creek) to derive the visitor arrival data,” said GTA’s Senior Officer of Marketing, Nicola Balram, in an invited comment.
According to Balram, by the middle of the month, the GTA would usually have all inputted data from the previous month but, they are still awaiting some outstanding cards for March and April to input into their system.

When asked about the expectations for the Carnival season, Balram said, they hope to not only meet the number of arrivals that was recorded in 2018 but exceed it, as was seen in January and February.

According to the GTA, Guyana continues to grow as a destination of choice for travellers. As of December 31, 2018, Guyana recorded a total of 286,732 visitors, a 15.93 per cent increase from the 247,330 visitors Guyana welcomed in 2017.
It was reported that Guyana’s tourism industry was placed third among the country’s top export earners behind gold and rice, raking in some US$143 million.
Over the past years, the GTA has worked on raising the profile of Destination Guyana through increased product development, awareness activities and niche marketing.
The efforts include attendance at trade shows such as American Birding Expo, Internationale Tourismus-Börse, and World Travel Market.

The year 2018 saw big changes in GTA’s marketing efforts. A new destination website and social media strategy were launched; market representation was secured in the core source markets of the US, Canada, UK and Germany; and GTA hosted several trade, media and influencer FAM trips – all with the aim of increasing awareness on Guyana, and driving demand among travellers seeking out authentic, nature, adventure and cultural experiences.

Travellers come to Guyana to enjoy its pristine rainforest and the golden savannahs of the Rupununi; its unique indigenous community-owned eco-lodges and its nature resorts on the Essequibo and Demerara Rivers; Guyanese events such as Bartica Regatta and Guyana Carnival, and the most popular attraction of them all, majestic Kaieteur Falls.
Kaieteur National Park recorded a total of 8,195 visitors to the tourist attraction in 2018, which is a 10 per cent increase from the previous year.