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Cost to Kaieteur Falls reduced
…flights available every weekend
(By Brushell Blackman)
For many Guyanese, visiting Kaieteur Falls would have been an elusive dream. This dream can now become a reality with cheap flights being offered by Roraima Airways.
The venture is a collaborative effort between Government and Roraima Airways.
According to Capt Gerald Gouveia, Managing Director of Roraima Airways, this move is to allow Guyanese to assist in the tourism drive.
Addressing the media yesterday from left Debbie Gouveia, Captain Gerald Gouveia and Minister of Tourism and Commerce Maniram Prashad
The price is now US$130 to visit the Kaieteur National Park, down from US$220.
The flights will operate on Saturdays and Sundays and will depart from the Ogle Airport at 8:00 hours and arrive one hour later at the park. This offer will continue until the end of the year.
Visitors will spend two hours sightseeing and touring the national park. From there the trip goes on to Arrow Point where they will be taken on a guided tour of that resort and will be entitled to a buffet lunch, this will cost an additional US$70.
The same offer costs US$95 a while ago.
According to Gouveia, this idea is to allow Guyanese to experience the wonders of their country. He charged schools and clubs to use the opportunity to enlighten the group they serve about Guyana’s tourism product.
According to him learning institutions such as the University of Guyana should play an active role if the tourism should take off like other Caribbean countries.
The US$130 encompasses cost of flight, road transportation, Kaieteur National Park fee and fees for the tour guides.
Speaking at the media briefing at the Duke Lodge in Kingston, Tourism and Commerce Minister, Manniram Prashad, charged corporate Guyana to follow Gouveia’s lead. According to the Minister, Gouveia has heeded the advice of President Jagdeo who called on tour guides to make domestic tourism affordable.
Prashad said that Gouveia has taken up the challenge at a cost to his company. While satisfied at the strides made so far with tourism in Guyana he is still displeased at the support given to the industry by private sector.
Prashad noted the adverse effect the global economic melt down had on the tourism industry in the Caribbean.
He said the industry suffered a thirty percent decrease however Guyana is the only country in the region that has seen a growth of eleven percent.
Until last June, 582 persons visited Kaieteur Falls, more than double the number for the corresponding period for the previous year.
According to Prashad there has been a significant increase in the number of resorts and parks across the country but this should not mark the end of aggressive marketing of Guyana as a tourism destination.
He said that there will be a new focus shortly with the marketing of Guyana as a tourism destination in Europe.
He said that he will feel a sense of accomplishment when Guyana comes on par with nature tourism destinations such as Costa Rica and Belize.
Should the current support continue the Minister envisage the price going down even further. Prashad is hopeful that more Guyanese will use the reduction in cost to visit the park and other tourism destinations across Guyana.
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