GTA launches Moraikobai, Wakapau, Seven Curry day tours
– to offer unique experiences, boost village economies
The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) today launched the Moraikobai Village Tour, the Wakapau Tour and the Seven Curry Tour at Whirlwind Village in Sophia. These tours were designed to provide locals and travellers with unique experiences that will take them beyond the popular destinations.
The tours will kick off once approval is received from the COVID-19 Task Force in light of the guidelines in place.
In her virtual address, Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Hon. Oneidge Walrond said she is happy that the GTA has developed these innovative tours.
The day tours, she said, “fit perfectly in the schedule of busy families just in need of a day trip or a business traveller with an extra day to spare. The tours being launched today all aim to give travellers meaningful captivating experiences as they actively engage with the history, people culture and food. They will provide travellers with access to one-of-a-kind insider experiences that engage all of the senses.”
Minister Walrond also said the plans reflect the Government’s policy on tourism. The new approach has already started to garner interest from both local and diaspora travellers eager to experience the beauty of Guyana.
The Ministry is also interested in partnering with communities to develop community-based or led tourism, which will boost their economies.
“I have interacted with tour guides, boat operators, kitchen staff and other workers in some communities and I appreciate the benefits of tourism on many of their families,” Minister Walrond said.
She expressed the hope that more communities would collaborate with the Department of Tourism so that their unique tourism interests and attractions could be explored and marketed.
Meanwhile, GTA Director, Ms. Carla James said the day tours are in keeping with the goal to promote sustainable tourism in Guyana through collaboration and to maximise the local socio-economic and cultivation outcomes.
“Moraikobai and Wakapau have now reached the visitor-ready stage which simply means that the community tourism enterprise activity or attraction has been assessed by the GTA, [is] ready to accept visitors, meet quality and safety requirements and has initiated the process to secure all the applicable tourism licenses,” she said.
She added that the tours are great additions to the product offerings to destination Guyana, which have been designed with the domestic and diaspora traveller in mind.
“Domestic and diaspora travellers will play a great role in the recovery of the tourism sector, which we are working to reopen in a phased approach way, by mid-December,” she said. At the launch, the tours were introduced by representatives who revealed details about the unique culture and history of the communities. The Seven Curry tour allows the tourists to experience making seven types of curries after gathering their ingredients during a six-hour journey around Georgetown.