This initiative is being made possible through the collaboration of the Roraima Group of Companies and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce with weekend flights on both Saturdays and Sundays until the end of the year at a cost of US$150 per person compared to the regular price of US$220.

Persons can take the opportunity to be mesmerised by Guyana’s premier tourist destination, the majestic Kaieteur Falls dropping 741 feet without interruption, on the Potaro River, a tributary of the mighty Essequibo and the journey takes one hour from the Ogle aerodrome to the Kaieteur National Park (KNP).

It is undoubtedly the crown jewel of all of Guyana’s natural resources, with a total height of 822 feet rendering it the world’s highest single-drop waterfall with a flow rate of 30 million gallons of water per minute.

Its environs — an area of some 627 square kilometres (242 square miles) — also has the distinction of being home to a host of rare and endangered species, including the rarely seen Cock-of-the-Rock, and the brightly-hued Golden Frog which spends almost all its life inside the giant Tank Bromeliad.

Speaking at the launching of the ‘affordable Kaieteur package’ at Duke Lodge in Kingston, Georgetown, Managing Director of Roraima Airways, Captain Gerry Gouveia recalled that some ten years ago, Roraima first launched the affordable tours to Kaieteur Falls.

Take advantage of offer
“In the last couple years, we looked with admiration at Air Services as they also made a huge attempt to bring affordable tours to Guyanese,” he observed.

He noted that during the past few weeks, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad has been talking with tour operators about making tourism more affordable for Guyanese not only here but visiting.

He stated that Roraima has “taken a step further” and responded to the request through the joint effort of the private sector and the government.

“This is not only going to be for Guyanese, this is going to be for all people who want to see Kaieteur Falls,” Captain Gouveia pointed out.

He expressed his hope that Guyanese will take advantage of this offer since it is a US$70 reduction and also disclosed that it is going to be combined with the tours to Arrowpoint resort on the weekends with an extra US$70 added.

Noting that the group offers an array of travelling services and tourism arrival numbers to Guyana has been going up and he said Kaieteur flights and the Arrowpoint resort have been doing very well.

“But we believe that there is a big need for more Guyanese to take advantage and see Kaieteur Falls and the resort because I think Guyanese are the “greatest marketing medium”,” he stressed.

The Managing Director urged schools, churches, youth groups among others to take advantage of the offer and visit Kaieteur.

Significant
Minister of Tourism, industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad noted, “It is a very special day” and the initiative is of significant importance to his ministry and the tourism industry in Guyana.

“Sometimes when history is in the making and when you see a transformation taking place you don’t really grasp the situation until many years after,” he explained.

He said the step is as a result of efforts over the years by previous tourism ministers and a result of the call made by President Bharrat Jagdeo last June at a tourism seminar for tour operators and players in the tourism industry to make tourism more affordable to locals.

He said this will certainly promote domestic tourism and Roraima Airways has taken up the challenge at a cost and stressed, “He is investing in tourism – this is the pioneering spirit that we talk about”.

He recalled the players who were involved in tourism at “great cost when nobody was talking about tourism” who are the “trial blazers of yesteryears” stating, “That is why we have so many resorts mushrooming now. It is as a result of the sacrifices made by those people many, many years ago.”

“And here it is today we have Roraima Airways that has taken up the mantle and has taken up the challenge to promote domestic tourism,” minister Prashad posited.

Alluding to it as “public private partnership at its best”, he said the government will make its contribution in terms of the landing charge at the Kaieteur Park.

He said this move will importantly see more and more Guyanese visiting Kaieteur and promote the natural wonder noting “There is nothing like word of mouth advertising.”

He alluded to Air Services Limited who had also taken up the challenge with special domestic package to Kaieteur and noted last July, this pristine treasure saw a recording 582 arrivals, representing a 172 per cent increase in July 2008.

Minister Prashad reminded that Destination Guyana continued to promote internationally through major international trade shows and fairs and featured prominently in top tourism magazines and recently the BBC three part series – Lost Land of the Jaguar and “all over Europe people are now talking about Guyana”.

He underscored that the Roraima of Companies have been good corporate citizens which is very important giving back to the industry and the country as a whole pointing out that Captain Gouveia has been a key sustainer of the Amerindian community over the year with the entire staff at Arrowpoint resort being indigenous people.

“This is what tourism is all about. This is what we need. We need people to take the lead and take up the challenge and then the local communities must benefit,” he exhorted.

“Because our tourism is eco tourism, nature tourism and adventure tourism and this is what it’s all about. We can find employment for local communities to develop people there, they can live better lives and see a future in tourism,” he insisted.

Also, he appealed for persons to desist from littering noting, “Because I have seen many people littering Georgetown and littering all parts of Guyana basically.”

He said that with its brand of tourism, when visitors come to Guyana, they want to see “a bright, clean and beautiful Guyana” and all must be involved in its efforts.

“We have to make sure that we portray a very positive image,” he told the gathering and reminded that despite the global financial crisis, Guyana has continued recording a positive visitor’s arrival.

“We have come a long way over a short period of time and we have done exceedingly well in the light of the global financial crisis,” he reiterated.

He said that Guyana is the only country in the Caribbean that had an increase in tourism up to July this year with an 11.4 per cent increase.

He added, “However, I am not boasting because we have started from a small base and we are now developing but the fact that we have not shown a decline and we have increase shows that our marketing is being taken overseas and people are taking Guyana seriously.”

He noted that Guyana’s birding programme has attracted international attention and is being compared alongside Peru as one of the top birding destinations in the world.

He revealed that his vision at least in the short term is that when a visitor in Europe or North America is planning his vacation and is thinking about eco or nature tourism and is contemplating which part in this hemisphere to visit, certain countries come to mind immediately – Costa Rica, Belize or Guyana.

Pioneer
“Then we would have arrived, we would have done sometimes so this is what we are aspiring to and all these events and what is taking place here today is very significant because we have a pioneer in this business who does not cry and complain,” he stated.

Insisting that this is what corporate responsibility is all about, he stated, “What he is doing here is investing in the long term and I sincerely hope that other tour operators and air services in Guyana will try to emulate and follow the lead,” he encouraged.

Commending the company, the minister said this will lead to the promotion and improvement of domestic tourism for the benefit of industry and all Guyanese.

According to an Amerindian legend, the falls is named after Kaie, one of the great old chieftains of the Patamona people, who inhabited the Pakaraima Mountains in Guyana’s interior.

He is said to have committed self-sacrifice by paddling his canoe over the edge of the falls, to appease Makonaima, the Great Spirit God, in order to save the tribe from being destroyed by the savage Caribs.