A TOTAL of 38 boat operators from Region Nine have had their river licences renewed while 12 persons were trained and became certified for the first time in river navigation competency. A team from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) visited Iwokrama and Annai, earlier in the month, to provide comprehensive training and issue the requisite certification to boat operators.
The certification is part of MARAD’s efforts to ensure that boat operators are maneuvering the waterways in a manner that is in accordance with the River Navigation Act. The training team comprised of the Director of Maritime Safety, Captain John Flores; Registrar of Seafarers, Examination and Certification Officer, Katina Benn-George, and two other employees from the Maritime Safety Division.

Captain Flores and team facilitated training in the areas of collision avoidance, river navigation regulations, emergency drills, and emergency safety equipment.
Twenty-four operators from Annai had the opportunity to renew their licences, while nine persons were trained and certified in river navigation competency. In Iwokrama, 14 operators had their licences renewed, while three persons benefitted from their first-time training and certification. This training was a collaborative effort between MARAD and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

The river navigation competency certification adds to the GTA’s efforts of returning the tourism sector to some level of normalcy. As many countries continue to battle harsh lockdowns and curfews owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guyana has moved to reopen its tourism industry. This is largely owing to the country’s small population, coupled with the fact that it boasts vast open spaces that easily allow for the strict implementation of all COVID-19 protocols.
The reopening of the tourism industry rests heavily on the promotion of eco-tourism, which is integrally linked to water travels.
Just this week, destination Guyana once again secured first place at the International “Golden City Gate” Award for a video contributed in the category “Stay Safe”.

This multimedia contest took place for the 21st time during this year’s Internationale Tourismus -Börse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany, the world’s largest travel trade show, which was held virtually from March 9 to 12, 2021, due to the pandemic.
A total of 122 film entries were submitted from 23 countries. The 32 members of the international jury honoured the “Welcome back to Guyana” (http://bit.ly/3eMOLsE) video produced by the Guyana Tourism Authority, highlighting the beauty of the country’s diverse natural and cultural heritage, and promotion to visit the country when the corona pandemic subsides.

WINNER

This is the second time that Guyana has been awarded first place in the “Golden City Gate” competition. In 2019, Guyana also secured first place after submitting a video in the ‘Destination” category.
Only recently, also, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, highlighted that Guyana continues to maintain its place in the global spotlight as a prime tourist destination, due to its unique ecotourism product. The minister’s statements followed the publication of an article in the ‘Wanderlust’ travel magazine, which ranked Guyana as one of the top nine sustainable tourism destinations in the world.
Minister Walrond said that this “continues to reinforce the point that Guyana is still a world changer.” The article, titled “9 sustainable experiences in Latin America”, shed some flattering light on the immersive experiences contained in indigenous communities and culture. “Indigenous communities in this South American country have created their own sustainable tourism projects, such as eco lodges and guided tours.

These communities’ low-carbon lifestyle, commitment to protecting their ancestral lands and conservation efforts protecting wildlife make Guyana’s tourism one of the greenest on the planet,” the magazine said.
Over the years, Guyana’s sustainable tourism product has been widely recognised. On November 5, 2019, Guyana won the Silver Prize in ‘Best of Adventure’ from the International Travel and Tourism Awards for the sustainable adventure practices framework communities have employed. Earlier, on June 10, 2019, it won the “Best in Sustainable Tourism” award at the Latin America Travel Association (LATA) Achievement Awards in London. It also secured the coveted cover of the June/July 2019 issue of the international Travel Agent Magazine.
Guyana was also named the ‘The World’s #1 in ‘Best of Ecotourism’ and one of the Top 10 Sustainable Destinations at the ITB Berlin – the world’s leading travel and trade show in March 2019.