– country in league with Barbados
GUYANA has been given due recognition for its unique brand of eco-tourism. This year, the country’s Surama Village Eco-Lodge was announced the joint winner of the 2011 Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award along with Barbados’ Harrison’s Cave, by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) in collaboration with TravelMole.
The award was presented at the 12th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development in Southampton, Bermuda.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Mr. Manniram Prashad said that Guyana has surpassed many other countries with regards to its brand of  eco-tourism product.
“We are very happy and the Government of Guyana is extremely pleased with Guyana winning this prestigious CTO award jointly with Barbados,” he said.
Guyana was represented at the conference by Deputy Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Ms. Tameca Sukhdeo-Singh.
Surama Village Eco-Lodge harnesses the economic power of the visitor industry in a responsible and sustainable way to create wealth and to benefit the community of just under 290 people and their environment.
Meanwhile, Harrison’s Cave won for taking what was already a mature tourism attraction and upgrading it to make it more environmentally responsible and more economically productive.
The CTO/TravelMole awards are aimed at identifying, recognizing and showcasing sustainable tourism best practices in the Caribbean, which embracing sustainable tourism concepts and core values, and which helps to enhance tourism products.
The CTO, a 36 member organisation exists to increase significantly the inclusion of the Caribbean region in the set of destinations being considered by travellers.
It envisions the global recognition of the Caribbean as a growing set of places and experiences that people feel compelled to enjoy in their lifetime.
Minister Prashad, at a news conference at his Georgetown office yesterday, emphasized the importance of such an accolade.
“This is the most important thing that has ever happened for tourism in Guyana, for the first time ever,” he beamed.
Prashad said, “Guyana has won the CTO award in sustainable tourism and is a joint winner with Barbados. Over the years we were told that Harrison Cave is the best Tourism site in the Caribbean, so if Guyana could win jointly with Barbados then what we have is just as good and shows that we have gone past several other Caribbean countries in terms of what we have to offer.”
He noted that we are indeed winners as our eco tourism product is now being recognized.
Continuing, the Tourism Minister pointed out that the Secretary-General of CTO, Mr. Hugh Riley has extended his congratulations in addition to several Tourism Ministers who congratulated Guyana for winning the prestigious award.
“We are now on the map and have turned the corner as we now have the facilities to sustain the industry,” he added.
“The Government of Guyana and His Excellency Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo is extremely happy that we have won this award jointly with Barbados,” the minister added.
In addition to this, he announced that Guyana has been chosen to host the next CTO Annual Conference on Sustainable tourism, next April.
This he said means that we will be having close to 2000 persons visiting the country and who will be privy to what we have to offer as a tourism destination.