AS part of the government’s efforts to make Guyana a significant tourism destination, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced Monday that plans are in place for a 500-acre rainforest safari development on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

According to the Head of State, who called the plan “strategic thinking and strategic planning,” this is just one of the many initiatives being implemented by the government to diversify the investment of the oil-and-gas sector to position each industry in the country to be self-sustaining strategically.

He continued: “We are now crystallizing the idea of a one-of-a-kind rainforest safari development. You know all over the world, if you go to the United States, they have Disney World. You go to Singapore, they have the Night Safari, you go to the Middle East, they have the Day Safari. We already have some of the giants of the world here, we want to look at 500 acres of land and its natural environment along the Linden Soesdyke Highway and to create a one-of-a-kind rainforest Safari.”

This rainforest safari destination is set to showcase Guyana’s unique and picturesque fauna, while providing a special tourism attraction.

President Ali stated that this is one of the many attractions the government is committed to seeing established to boost local tourism activity. He disclosed that the government is already in talks with several investors to establish a World Class Eco-Resort.

President Ali noted that the Eco Resort tourism attraction is set to be a combination of sun, sand, and sea and will take on a unique feature that will promote the feel of both an eco-resort and a beach, catering to a broader demographic of travellers and tourists.

“We [the government] are actively pursuing investors to develop in Guyana, a world-class, one-of-a-kind Eco resort. We are actively pursuing this. But this eco resort will be linked to the sun, the sand [and the] sea. That is why we are building strong partnerships with Barbados because if you have a family of 10, seven might want to go to an eco-resort, but three might want to go to the beach. We have to be able to have a product that delivers towards a wide section of the market.”

The President reminded that the government is set to roll out one of its most recent tourism packages in September, the Cricket Carnival, which was created to complement the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals hosted in Guyana for the next three years.

President Ali had previously described the massive event by saying, “Cricket Carnival is a fusion of entertainment and celebration that will be mind-blowing and unbelievably different from any other global cricketing event.”

This massive event is set to showcase the arts and entertainment sectors of Guyana and will feature an enormous lineup of both local and international artists, along with several other events designed to showcase Guyana.