By Vishani Ragobeer
Guyana’s ecotourism product has been rated as the best in the world and President Dr. Irfaan Ali believes that with innovative investments in the sector, tourism can be among the country’s most lucrative sectors.
The President made a pitch for these innovative investments during a roundtable discussion attended by several business officials from the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday.
“We need a big player in the market, and I’m telling you, the government is ready to support such a player.
“We are ready to work on a long-term arrangement in bringing that player into the market,” the President told the gathering during his first meeting of a three-day visit to the UK.
As he made the pitch for investments, the President explained that Guyana’s unique geographic location, coupled with its historical connection to the Caribbean, makes it an ideal place for new tourism ventures.
In this regard, he touted the possibility of cruise lines visiting the country to allow tourists to experience Guyana’s ecotourism.
Dr. Ali also explained that with South America as the only continent that has massive Amazonian rainforests, replete with countless different species of flora and fauna, a “true nature park” can be developed. This would allow people to experience all the different species in the Amazon.
The Amazon can also be harnessed to facilitate world-renowned education on biodiversity and ecological services, the President said too. Through this, he believes that academics would be able to travel to the country and immerse themselves in the field of study.
These investments aside, the Head of State touted the enormous possibilities that exist in marketing Guyana’s tourism product.
He referenced former US President Barack Obama’s new Netflix series “Our Great National Parks”, stating that something similar can be done for Guyana.
“We need a Netflix series on Guyana like yesterday and that is where the government can work with potential investors,” President Ali highlighted.
For this year, so far, at least two new documentaries on Guyana have already been released internationally.
The first is National Geographic’s “the Last Tepui” which featured biologists searching for undiscovered animal species in Guyana’s rainforest. And, actor and travel blogger Dylan Efron shared his travels in Guyana in a new YouTube travel series.
The President believes that there is greater scope for Guyana’s tourism product to be explored and shared with the world. And he said that investors can create niche markets for themselves.
