THE Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Guyana Association of Georgia, USA, last Friday, established the Georgia-Guyana Tourism and Business Authority.

Seen as critical to advancing the objectives of diaspora tourism in the State of Georgia, the formation comes following a visit to the Greater Atlanta metro area by DoT’s Director-General, Donald Sinclair, where he met with a number of executives from the Guyana Association of Georgia.

Sinclair also visited a number of Guyanese-owned businesses in the area, and held tourism development discussions with other officials, including Community and Cultural Affairs Director in the office of the Mayor of Stonecrest, Al Franklin and Director of External Affairs and Engagement in the office of Congressman, Xeron Pledger.

At the meeting held at the City Hall of Stonecrest, the Georgia stakeholders demonstrated a high-level of enthusiasm about contributing to the development of tourism and business in Guyana, a statement from the Ministry of Business said.

The meeting was attended by a large group of members of the Guyanese diaspora and Sinclair fielded questions about the diaspora’s involvement in tourism development in Guyana.

This saw the association resolving to form the Georgia-Guyana Tourism and Business Authority and create a cooperation agreement with the Department of Tourism.
For many in attendance, such commitment comes without any expectation of financial reward and is driven entirely by a love of homeland, the statement said.

“Others are excited by the business opportunity inherent in the Guyana-Georgia relationship and have pledged their personal and financial resources to develop that relationship. An agenda of priority actions is being developed over the next two weeks for consideration by the Department of Tourism,” the statement read.