–Guyana listed among National Geographic’s top 35 destinations for 2023

THE National Geographic United Kingdom (UK) has named Guyana as one of the top 35 tourism destinations to visit for 2023 and beyond in its “Traveller’s Best of the World list,” which was unveiled in an article published on Wednesday.

The list is spread across five categories, namely adventure, culture, nature, family and community, according to the article that highlights some of the most exciting and exceptional experiences on the planet.

Guyana is number 13 on the list, under the nature category, along with the Scottish Highlands, Slovenia, Big Bend National Park in Texas, USA, Azores, Botswana, and Tanzania.

The article emphasises Guyana’s expected improved accessibility to the UK with the commencement of flights by British Airways, the UK’s flag carrier. British Airways is slated to begin flights to Guyana in the first quarter of 2023.

The article describes Guyana as a destination with “thick rainforests, sprawling savannahs, magical mountain ranges and epic rivers.

“Guyana may be one of South America’s smaller nations, but it packs a big punch for nature-lovers. Go to get truly off-grid. Similar in size to the UK, Guyana is home to fewer than a million people, and river, off-road or air transport are often the only routes into the heart of it all.

“Natural highlights range from jaguars stalking dense forests to giant anteaters on the savannahs, harpy eagles in the skies and wow-moments like Kaieteur Falls, one of the world’s highest single-drop waterfalls (and twice as high as Victoria Falls). The number of eco-tourism experiences and community-run lodges is growing, too,” the article said.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh, said that the authority is excited about the country being featured, and sees it as a sign of all the hard work being put into promoting the country as an ideal tourism destination.

“This is as a result of the constant marketing, promotion and brand positioning in the travel marketplace by all tourism stakeholders. We know of the quality of tourism offerings here in Guyana and it’s good to be recognized internationally by renowned travel publications,” Baksh said.

He added: “Destination Guyana has been focused on promoting to its core markets and is expanding its horizon even further. Our beautiful country will attract more and more travellers, who will tell a story of authentic, unique and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

This is not the first time that Guyana is being featured in a National Geographic publication. Earlier this year, Guyana was featured in the cover story of the April edition of the National Geographic magazine, while the 2013 National Geographic Traveler included Wilderness Explorers’ award-winning Amerindian Guyana Tour among its “Best of the World 2014.”