FROM mountain biking to jungle trekking, a group of travel professionals from the United States recently experienced a range of Guyana’s tourism products.
The group, which consists of five tour operators and four travel writers, is the eighth tourism product familiarization (fam) trip organized by the Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative (GSTI), a joint project of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the United States Agency for International Development/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (USAID/GTIS) project. Within hours of landing in Guyana, most of the participants hopped on mountain bikes and followed the lead of Gerry Gouveia as he pedalled the forested trails that connect Arrowpoint Nature Resort to Santa Mission. Later in the day, parrots and macaws chatted over accompanying guide Wally Prince as he recounted the very large and very fresh jaguar tracks that he spotted in the trails just at the back of the lodge.

From January 30 – February 9, the trip, which was co-organized and logistically handled with the GSTI tour operator partner, Wilderness Explorers, visited additional locations including Kaieteur Falls, Nappi Village, Yupukari Village, Karanambu Lodge, Rewa Village, Rock View Lodge, Iwokrama River Lodge, Atta Rainforest Lodge and Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, Baganara Island Resort, and Georgetown.

Activities included an eight-mile trek to Jordan Falls in the Kanuku Mountains, Black Caiman research on the Rupununi River and birdwatching from the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway.

Fam trips, which are common in the tourism industry, have proven to be a successful part of the GSTI strategy. By partnering with Guyana’s tourism suppliers, USAID/GTIS and the GTA have staged several successful ‘fam trips’ that have provided an incredible boost to Guyana’s level of recognition as a tourism destination.

Over the past five years, the number of tour operators from around the globe that are actively promoting, designing and selling birding and natural history trips to Guyana has jumped from a small handful to more than 40. Occupancy rates at many of Guyana’s lodges have increased in the busy season by more than 50 percent.

In recent years, Guyana has also enjoyed an increase in media coverage in publications such as the New York Times, Bird Watching magazine, Outside magazine, American Express Departures magazine, Audubon Magazine Online, Wanderlust magazine, and several online outlets.

The GSTI chose the current ‘fam trip’ participants to help expand Guyana’s exposure and recognition as a tourism destination in North America. Tour guides and operators on this trip included Jim Danzenbaker from Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris, a company that travels only to the richest wildlife areas.
Peggy Newfield, owner of Latin American Escapes, said her company is dedicated to worldwide conservation and sustainable tourism with trips designed to encourage an understanding and appreciation for nature, and to respect, protect and benefit the local communities.

Kristina Nemeth is Travel Director of the Commonwealth Club of California, which for 40 years has been bringing together study leaders and breathtaking destinations to offer the best in global exploration to their 18,000 members. Megan Crewe is a guide for Field Guides, which has been operating high-quality birding tours since 1985.
Finally, Mike Crewe of the New Jersey Audubon Society is here to research designing a natural history and birding trip that will be sold through one of the oldest independent Audubon societies.

Journalists include Jeff Greenwald, who has written six travel books and publishes stories and essays in a variety of publications, including The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, and Salon.com.

Eric Hiss regularly writes feature articles for high-profile publications oriented towards travel, including Conde Nast Traveler, Robb Report, The Los Angeles Times and Men’s Journal. He is also the Co-founder of the global travel and lifestyle blog Wandermelon.com, and an active blogger and e-publisher.

Amanda Castleman is a freelance journalist, specializing in travel, adventure and the environment. Her articles have appeared in the International Herald Tribune, MSNBC.com, Wired, Salon and the UK’s BBC, Guardian and Mail on Sunday. Amanda has worked on more than two dozen books, including titles for National Geographic, Frommer’s, Michelin, DK Eyewitness, Time Out and Rough Guides.

The GSTI familiarization tours would not be possible if local tourism suppliers were not pledging their full support. For this programme, GTA-USAID/GTIS is grateful for the generous contributions from Wilderness Explorers, Arrowpoint Nature Resort, Nappi Village and Maipaima Eco-Lodge, Yupukari Village and Caiman House Field Station, Karanambu Lodge, Rewa Village and Eco-Lodge,Rock View Lodge,Iwokrama International Centre, Atta Rainforest Lodge, Community and Tourism Services (CATS), Baganara Island Resort, Guyanese Heritage Museum, and Cara Lodge.

The Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative (GSTI) is receiving support from Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS), a joint project of the Government of Guyana and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
More information on the GSTI and tourism in Guyana can be found at www.guyana.travel, www.guyanabirding.com and www.guyana-travel.com.