Boosting …tourism 

On the campaign trail, Pressie announced that his new administration gonna be soliciting expressions of interest for all-inclusive resort development at key locations across the country. Among those he mentioned were Orinduik Falls, Number 63 Beach, the Linden Blue Lakes, Stabroek and Vreed-en-Hoop waterfronts, Lethem, Leguan, and Bartica, among others. Your Eyewitness noticed that our iconic Kaieteur Falls wasn’t specifically mentioned – and suspects the Government might be attempting to not despoil its pristine beauty and grandeur.
Now for the uninitiated, an “all-inclusive resort” is a holiday resort that generally includes – in the price of booking a stay – a flight to the destination, local transportation, lodging, unlimited food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), entertainment, and other recreational activities. A pool at the resort is de rigueur – even if it’s near a beach. It all started back in the mid-1950s with Club Med – and how it spread to most tourist destinations for both the well-heeled and plebs!! Ask your relatives from Reg 11 – NY and Toronto, and they’ll be more than happy to regale you about their all-inclusive vacations in Punta Cana in the DR or Cancun in Mexico!! Your Eyewitness has been reliably informed these locales might be thinking of applying a surcharge for Guyanese since they’d only catered for Europeans who peck away like birds at tiny portions. We don’t just go back for “seconds” – but fifths and sixths!! And let’s not even talk about alcoholic drinks!!
Anyhow, your Eyewitness must give credit to Pressie for sticking to his vision for developing our tourism potential from the moment he entered office. Now, we all know we don’t have the “sun, sea and sand” tourism product of our Caribbean brothers and sisters – so up to now we’d been pushing our “eco-tourism” potential. Last year, the World Bank Director for the Caribbean pointed out that after COVID, “adventure tourism” is now eclipsing the older, lolling-on-the-beaches variant. And this is where we come in. Our interior’s tailor-made for adventure – whether it’s hiking in the foothills of the Pakaraimas, safaris into the mountains themselves, scaling Mt Roraima, or paddling up the Cuyuni to follow the old slave-escape route. Folks just gotta book “A Ticket to Adventure”!!
But there’s always gonna be the tourist who just wanna “get away from it all” – and just let it all hang out!! And that’s where the all-inclusive resorts come in. However, your Eyewitness wants to alert Pressie to the biggest hurdle we gotta overcome before this model can be successful – Guyanese workers who’ll be willing to provide all-inclusive SERVICE to the tourists!!
We can’t be serving them food by throwing it on the table and saying, “Heh!!”

…food tourism
Now, your Eyewitness is what’s now called a “foodie”. That is, he just loves to experience food from all peoples and cultures. Right now, he’s been getting into – and wolfing down – Korean food and just can’t get enough of kimchi! Now don’t for a moment think your Eyewitness is a glutton!! Others like him from across the world have created a food tourism – also known as culinary tourism – industry!!
Food tourism’s more than just tasting new dishes. The unique flavours and dishes of a country are deeply connected to its culture, heritage, geography, and customs. So it’s a way to learn about cultures, connect with communities, and create lasting memories. Whether it’s exploring local markets, attending cooking classes, or participating in food-related cultural events, food experiences often become the highlight of a trip.
In our land of six peoples, we have that many cuisines to tempt foodies of the world to head down to our dear Mudland!!
Seven curry in lotus leaves – eaten with fingers – Pressie??

…peace of mind
Some folks think Minister Edghill was cavalier by saying no additional stress tests were needed for the new DHB. Fifteen loaded trucks don’t stress it more than the 700-tonne crane it supported.
But Pressie gave us peace of mind!!