Kingston, in north Georgetown, is replete with numerous landmarks and attractions and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond has touted this area as a potential tourism site.
In this small area of Georgetown, the development of two major hotels- the Marriott and Pegasus- occupy the waterfront area.
There are also numerous buildings, some with architecture reminiscent of Guyana’s colonial past and some that illustrate modern development in Guyana.
These include the American Embassy, the Canadian High Commission, the Court of Appeal, the official residence of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese in Guyana and the Red House, which was the Official Residence of one of Guyana’s Founding Fathers Dr. Cheddi Jagan, and is now the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.
Minister Walrond says that the area is a tourism package waiting to be exploited. She said this on Tuesday at the unveiling of an indigenous mural at the Canadian High Commission in Kingston. This mural, she said, only adds to the numerous landmarks and attractions in the area.
And, the Minister posited, “I think that visitors to the hotels, which are within a stone’s throw of this spot, could be persuaded to spend an hour or two on a guided tour of historical Kingston.”
She also made mention of First Lady Arya Ali’s seawall beautification project. This project is expected to see the Kingston seawall area transformed with food kiosks, a boardwalk and other features.
Other notable attractions in this area include the lighthouse, which allows visitors to enjoy an aerial view of Georgetown and the Atlantic Ocean.
There is also the Umana Yana, signifying a traditional indigenous meeting place; the African liberation monument; the Guyana Marine turtle monument and more recently, the ‘I love Guyana’ and ‘One Guyana’ signs.
“…a worthwhile tourism experience can be made with a mini excursion within these few square blocks,” Walrond declared.
There are few local tour operators that have done guided tours of Georgetown, but Walrond stated that a concerted effort would unearth a greater historical significance of the area and carefully craft an attractive tourism package.
