Mini-hike, pottery experience among new tourism products launched in Region Nine

Toka, a community in Region Nine, has long indulged in making objects through pottery and now, the village is offering the fun experience for tourists visiting the region. The community in North Rupununi indulges in pottery making by using clay obtained from a historic site there.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh, on Tuesday launched four new tourism products in the region. He said micro-entrepreneurship in indigenous communities is expanding and this is significant for the tourism sector that goes far beyond the centralised tours.

“To see the adventure product within the Lethem district being optimally packaged is key.

“We want to work on getting an assessment done on the adventure market so while we have so much undiscovered gems and we feel that they have a lot of potential,” the director said.

“Journey through Pottery” is a unique experience that will be directly offered through the community. According to a resident involved in the project, items are taken to the site and persons conduct a brief blessing of the clay to be extracted.

The spot where the clay is extracted is a historic site that has deep cultural roots in the community.

Meanwhile, Rupununi Adventures, Tara’s Choices and Tours and Bushcow Eco Trails were launched at the Cashew Grove Park at Lethem, Region Nine.

These products offer guided tours, trekking along Kanuku and Rupununi. The culture of the indigenous peoples is a major aspect that will be experienced during these trips.

But the pottery experience will provide guests with a guesthouse and then a mini-hike of Taiwu Falls; storytelling and bonfire experiences are included.

“It diversifies the product portfolio of the North Rupununi [that] is in my view the most developed tourism circuit in the entire country and what this Toka experience is doing is strengthening the tourism product even further. So no longer will Toka be just a drive-by community, but persons are actually going to journey and venture to Toka to enjoy this very unique experience here,” Baksh said.

Several persons were trained to properly package the pottery products. Conservation International co-funded the project through Visit Rupununi and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.