As Guyana gears up to take on the role of one of the leading tourist destinations in the Caribbean, the country’s Tourism Authority has partnered with the Canadian Consulate to execute a series of exchanges aimed at increasing the number of visitors arriving from Canada.
Members of the Guyana-Canadian Tourism Council during a press conference hosted by the GTA
As a result of the establishment of the Guyana-Canadian Tourism Council earlier this year, a group of Canadians journeyed to the Land of Many Waters to participate in the first-ever Media and Travel Agents Familiarisation Tour.
A delegation of Council members, escorted by representatives of the GTA ventured on a three-day journey, which took the visitors into the depths and hidden treasures located along the Essequibo River.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Deputy Director Carla James-Chandra explained that the initiative was aimed at marketing Guyana’s tourism products in the international arena.
The GTA representative went on to say that of the number of visitors arriving in Guyana for the year thus far, 9.7 per cent of the total hailed from Canada.
The familiarisation tour, which kicked off on November 11 and is expected to wrap up on November 14 (today), aligns with promoting local tourism.
This is given that the Council members intend on sharing the experience upon arrival back home. Adding to that, the group has pledged continued commitment to working with the GTA in crafting eye-catching tourism packages with the aim of attracting more visitors by providing improved accommodation and services.
Continuing on that note was Nathan Fong, who is a Canadian food and travel Journalist, visiting Guyana for the first time. Fong highlighted that based on his experience, Guyana holds promise to compete on the international tourism market.
While praising the country’s beauty, he underlined, “I think Guyana’s tourism holds great potential and it shows incredible potential for eco-tourism, which is really big right now and sustainable tourism, which is very popular.”
As such, the food and travel Journalist recommended that more attention be placed on promoting the culture, particularly as it relates to food, given the fusion of six different ethnicities.
Following the completion of its first initiative, the Guyana-Canadian Tourism Council has now tabled a number of activities for the next year, all of which are aimed at fulfilling its mission of heightening local tourism.
Meanwhile, in light of the efforts undertaken by the GTA to place Guyana among the top choices in tourism destinations, the country has seen a 5.6 per cent increase in tourist arrivals for the year thus far, when compared to last year. With these ventures, that number is expected to be on a constant rise.
