–calendar of activities to significantly expand Guyana’s ‘tourism footprint’
–grand Old Year’s Night party set for Main Street to close off year of crucial advancements, unification efforts

CONTINUING along the trajectory of transformation, 2025 will be a year of expanded tourism, increased economic activity, and immense energy President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.
The Head of State, in an enthusiastic address at the opening the One Guyana Christmas Village and Supermarket on Main Street, described the Year 2024 as one of tremendous excitement, development, and transformation, with significant increases in air travel capacity.
Building on this momentum, the President said, “Next year is the year in which our tourism jet will take off.

“We are going to ensure that the calendar of activities will expand our tourism footprint and will bring more traffic into Guyana to ensure the hotel rooms are filled, to ensure that the bed-and-breakfast facilities are filled, to ensure that next year, collectively, we work on championing the prosperity for each other and of each other.”

Already, in 2024, Guyana has added more than 200,000 new seats, with several major airlines operating across the country’s skies.
And, just recently, Caribbean Airlines announced that additional seats will be added to the Guyana route to accommodate the influx of travellers for the Christmas Season.
“The Year 2024 is closing in on us, and I must say that this year went at a record pace and speed, because of the tremendous excitement; the tremendous development and the tremendous advancement and transformation that has taken place in our society,” President Ali said.

EXPANDING THE TOURISM FOOTPRINT
Already, the ‘Guyanese Christmas’ is being touted as an experiential tourism product, with this year’s annual Christmas Village being converted to a supermarket experience, showcasing local small and medium-sized enterprises.
“The Christmas Village is now a staple; it is now part of the Guyanese Christmas experience, transforming Main Street into a national street of unity, a street of love, a street of peace, a street in which we celebrate our food, we celebrate our culture, we celebrate our identity, and we celebrate our uniqueness, because our Christmas celebration is unique,” the Head of State said, adding:

“It is different from the rest of the world; it is more vibrant, it is more colourful, it is more cheerful, it is more unifying, it is more giving, it is more peaceful, because we just know how to do it better.”
He further encouraged the use of local produce, food, culture, and talent during the Christmas holidays, aiming to make it a celebration of the Guyanese identity.

GRAND OLD YEAR’S NIGHT PARTY
Meanwhile the President announced that the upcoming New Year’s Eve will feature a grand event on Main Street, marking the start of a transformative 2025 for tourism and national prosperity.
This event will be coordinated by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

“We are going to have one big family Old Year’s Night right here on Main Street. We are going to [occupy] every square inch on Main Street, and we going to ring in 2025 together here on Main Street with the grandest, largest Old Year’s Night party,” the President said.
Though these celebrations will be with much fanfare, the Head of State underscored the importance of maintaining the spiritual and religious significance of Christmas while celebrating in vibrancy and cheer.

Concluding his address with a call to be ready and unified, President Ali reiterated that the future will bright, prosperous, and beautiful.
He affirmed: “The future is before us in a rapid manner; let us be ready in a unified, truly Guyanese way, to welcome it openly!”