Guyana’s untouched beauty has tremendous potential for tourism

Sep 18, 2017 News

“Guyana’s natural beauty is second to none. It could be touched a little bit more,” joked Michael Moore, Tour Leader for Zegrahm Expedition, who is part of 10-member team that returned for the Guyana FAM Tour 2017.

The Team that completed the nine-day FAM tour of Guyana and Director General of Tourism, Donald Sinclair.

The group participated in Familiarisation (FAM) tour of Guyana, which was hosted by Wilderness Explores and The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA). The team comprised of members from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States (USA), spent nine days exploring Guyana’s rich natural habitat.
At a debriefing session, on Saturday evening at the Marriott Hotel, Managing Director for Wilderness Explorers, Tony Thorne told media representatives that the team travelled and stayed at the Caiman House in Yupukari, Karanambu Lodge Rupununi River, Surama Eco Lodge, Iwokrama River Lodge, the Rainforest Lodge, Rewa Eco Lodge, Guest House at Kaieteur Fall, Baganara Island Resort, Arrowpoint Nature Resort, and Cara Lodge Hotel. They also visited Rock View Lodge, Grand Coastal Inn, and the Back-Yard Café. The Euro Cars Company loaned the team two four-wheel drive vehicles to explore the interior.
Throne said that the tour has “Perhaps been one of the most in-depth tours that we have ever had”. Thorne further said that “FAM tours are very important to the development of Guyana’s Tourism as a destination with very little known, and bringing professionals from around the world who can talk about what we have to offer is vitally important for the tourism industry.”
Michael Moore who hails from the USA exclaimed, “When I took the flight, I said oh my God, I have flown over the Amazon, the Andes, Ugine, Malaysia, no place is there such unbroken rainforest, and intact canopy”. He believes that more needs to be done to put the country on the map as a tourist destination, and plans to bring a team of 10-14 persons next year to experience Guyana.
Also speaking at the briefing was Director General of Tourism; Donald Sinclair said that this trip is of great importance to the tourism industry of Guyana as it will greatly boost the marketing of the nation’s potential. The Director General also said that as of 2017, the Tourism body has adopted a strategy for recruiting market representatives, “So that more work can be done in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada” which is currently ongoing. GTA contributed approximately $2.2M to this FAM tour.
Also present at the event was Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, his wife, and officials of GTA.
The members that have completed the FAM tour are Helen Byron of Wildlife WorldWide (UK), Emily Davis of Last Frontiers (UK), Katie Aston of Reveal Travel (UK), Dominique Dunphy of Trufflepig (Canada, UK, US), Gavin Breeze of Chimu Adventure (Australia), Michael Moore of Zegraham Expeditions (US), Tony Thorne, Managing Director for Wilderness Explores, Clair Antell of Wilderness Explores (UK), Shelomi Williams of Wilderness Explores and Carlos Allie Wilderness Explores (Guyana). (A DPI feature)