A PACKED agenda, inclusive of cross-cutting projects, is in store for Tourism Awareness Month 2022, which kicks off today in Linden.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh said the much-anticipated period, celebrated under the theme “All Sectors, One Tourism”, will be used to spread the message that tourism is cross-cutting, and all sectors need to be on board.

Director Baksh said that the theme is relevant because tourism cuts across many different service industries.

He noted that a typical example of this would be the different industries used for a simple tour: Aviation, travel, on-ground transportation, tour services and more.

“There’s so much that you need to engage with, and we feel that we need to have everybody on board. So, we will be pulling together all the sectors to come on board with us. We have a drive for this all-inclusive approach, so that persons understand that we’re not here just to support one segment of society,” Baksh said.

The results achieved through the synergistic initiatives of the Authority will soon be revealed when it launches several new tourism products that are in the pipeline.
One such project that’ll be launched, officially, is Wayne’s World in Linden.

So far, the GTA has launched six new tourism products, and will launch at least six more to bring new experiences to the country.

During this month, the Authority will also host tourism entrepreneurial workshops, which Director Baksh would be leading on the Essequibo Coast as well as in the Berbice regions.

“We want to share some ideas, because we feel more can be packaged within these regions. There are just a few operators, so we want to spur some ideas; we will pitch some itineraries to them, so that they can see how this can all come together,” he said.

Baksh related that this will be done in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce.

There will also be a mini-golf tournament and paintball competition to make these activities more accessible to youths.

He added that several operators are offering tours that are more in the coastal area, and a few operators in the Berbice region are also packaging great tours.

The director noted that while domestic tourism has increased because of the way the attractions are now marketed, the Authority also wants to bring in foreign tourists.

He said that now that the beauty of Guyana is being exposed, persons are showing a greater appreciation for the country’s nature and sites.

Baksh also related that most of the new tourism products are affordable; this is a factor contributing to the increase in domestic tourism.