‘Guyana has joined other ACTO countries in nominating the Amazon as one of the ‘Natural Wonders of the World’ and it has made the final list.’ – Tourism Minister Manniram Prashad
By Priya Nauth
THE Fifth Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) Technical Committee Meeting of Tourism Focal Points opened in Guyana yesterday, under the theme ‘Community-based Sustainable Tourism – Striving towards promoting and branding the Amazon region.’

Composite photo shows participants at yesterday’s opening of the ACTO meeting.

Delegates from seven of the eight member States of ACTO are attending the four-day forum to deliberate on strategic visioning, planning and implementation of sustainable tourism development, for the Amazon as a single geo-destination.

Minister of Tourism, industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad welcomed them at Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

ACTO, an inter-governmental grouping of eight Amazon Basin countries, comprises Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

It was formed in 2003 in Brazil, after being founded through the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) signed in 1978.

Prashad remarked that Guyana is the home of one of the last remaining tracts of pristine tropical rainforest in the world and said this country is pleased and honoured to be hosting the focal points.

He acknowledged the important work and initiatives of ACTO, in creating more awareness and branding of the Amazon region and promoting travel to and within the Amazon.

“The Amazon is the most bio-diverse region in the world occupying seven per cent of the world’s land mass but home to more than 50 per cent of known species on the planet,” Prashad related.

ACTO Coordinator of Tourism, Mr. Donald Sinclair, making remarks during yesterday’s opening of the ACTO meeting at the Guyana International Conference Centre. Seated at head table (at right), is Tourism Minister Manniram Prashad. (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

He continued: “The Amazon rainforest is the world’s greatest remaining natural resource, called the lungs of the world. Twenty per cent of the world’s oxygen and fresh water is produced right here in the Amazon.

“We have a mandate to conserve, preserve, protect and promote the Amazon for the future of the world,” Prashad stated.

He disclosed that Guyana has joined other ACTO countries in nominating the Amazon as one of the ‘Natural Wonders of the World’ and it has made the final list.

Encouraging everyone living outside to visit the Amazon to visit, Prashad said each Amazonian country is uniquely endowed with world class tourism attractions.

Experience
“We must work together to create geo-destinations and package the various attractions to give the visitors an experience they will never forget,” he urged.

Prashad noted that the meeting is taking place at a critical time and juncture when “we are confronted with climate change.”

He emphasised that climate change impacts every sector of the society and every sector of society contributes to it and, consequently, many countries have already embarked on the transformation of their entire economies to create low carbon development pathways.

Prashad said such a new development paradigm creates opportunities for sustainable economic growth and tourism, as well.

Noting that Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) is an initiative of President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Minister explained that it aims to expand on economic and social reforms and aid in the fight against climate change.

“At the centre of the strategy is Guyana’s 15 million hectares of pristine rainforest, which has an economic value of US$580M but, if left untouched without affecting national development, can contribute US$40 billion to the global economy each year,” Prashad said.

He said President Jagdeo and Guyana believe that such a compensatory mechanism should be included at the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in Copenhagen later this month.

Prashad said introducing environmentally responsible measures will produce benefits for ordinary Guyanese and outlined some low carbon economy initiatives that could be expanded to benefit Guyanese, including: eco-tourism, sustainable use of non-timber forests products, agro forestry, agro tourism, improved energy efficiency by businesses and implementation of green practices and solar lights.

“Climate change is not just an environment issue. It is a development issue. We view climate change through the lens of poverty reduction and human development,” he posited.

Prashad said the support of the international community, ACTO and the UN must be guided by a vision of inclusive and sustainable development.

LEAD
“Guyana can lead the way in building a green low carbon economy,” he offered, adding: “I trust that climate change and low carbon development is on the agenda as this Fifth Technical Committee Meeting marks the beginning of our joint work to harness the opportunities of a low carbon economy and reduce the vulnerabilities presented by the real impact of climate change.”

Expressing the wishing for a successful conference as the delegates strive to create more awareness of the Amazon and promote tourism linkages among the eight countries which share it, he exhorted them: “Let us adopt low carbon development strategies; promote and brand a low carbon and commit to reducing our carbon footprint.”

Director of Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh, also extended a warm welcome to the participants and expressed sincere appreciation to all the persons and sponsoring institutions for making significant contributions to make the meeting possible.

“The Amazon region is richly endowed by nature with tropical rainforests, mountains, rivers, amazing biodiversity, spectacular landscapes and scenery coupled with diverse and ancient cultures and cuisines along with friendly and hospitable people,” he reiterated.

Haralsingh said, as close neighbours, the countries face numerous common concerns and challenges, especially in terms of climate change, sustainability and threats to biodiversity, among other developmental challenges.

“It is the mission of ACTO to work cooperatively with Amazonian countries to find common solutions to some of these problems,” he challenged, noting that tourism collaboration, development and promotion offer one such solution.

Haralsingh went on: “The call to realise Guyana’s continental destiny and South-South cooperation has strong positive implications for tourism.”

He maintained that the core Guyana tourism product is, essentially, Amazonian and, therefore, its development agenda should revolve around support for developing and marketing it.

“We are, particularly, proud to be hosting this meeting as a culminating activity for Tourism Awareness Month 2009 and we wish that our deliberations, over the next few days, will be fruitful and chart the way for the Amazon as the number one hotspot for nature and adventure tourism and a low carbon economy and lifestyle,” Haralsingh said.

SHOWCASE
ACTO Coordinator of Tourism, Mr. Donald Sinclair said this meeting, like previous ones, is important for the group and Guyana, because it comes at the end of Tourism Awareness Month and this country is able to use it to showcase the wider Amazon context of tourism.

He said this country is promoting itself as ‘Guyana – the Amazon Adventure’ and it is quite visionary of Minister Prashad and GTA to host the meeting.

Sinclair said their task, over the next few days, is great, because the challenge of developing tourism in the Amazon is as exciting.

“Together, we cooperate to advance the tourism programme for the Amazon because it is the Amazon that brings us here and it is the Amazon that we are working for,” he argued.

Chairman of the Climate Change Unit in Office of the President, Mr. Shyam Nokta, in a presentation on Tourism and Low Carbon Development, acknowledged the important role the Amazon region can play in the climate change fight.

“As you spend the next few days talking about tourism, planning for tourism in this region and looking at the opportunities and the challenges, it is important that we recognise the important role that the Amazon can play in this very important issue of climate change,” he emphasised.

Nokta said: “Clearly our region is working closely on the issue of climate change, how we can work together to deploy our forests as a region but also how we can work together to ensure that we can receive adequate financing to make it an economically worthwhile and rational decision.”

Also in attendance were Director of the GTZ Regional Programme for the Amazon in Brazil, Mr. Horst Steigier, representatives of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), the Private Sector and other tourism officials.

Each of the eight member countries has appointed two persons on the Technical Committee. The two representing Guyana are Haralsingh and GTA Administrative Manager, Mr. Ohene Koama.

The programme for the visitors includes a visit to community-based tourism resorts, Arrowpoint and Santa Mission.

ACTO’s Permanent Secretariat was established in 2002 and its mission is to promote the integrated and sustainable development of the Amazon region.

The organisation is currently executing its 2004-2012 Strategic Plan, developed with inputs from the countries, international organisations, technical experts, civil society organisations and local communities, to pursue a number of approaches.

This year is designated ‘Destination Amazonian Year 2009’ which is a tourism drive initiated by ACTO, in collaboration with the eight member countries that are signatories to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty.