Guyana will lead all regional tourism products by 2030 – Pres. Ali

With Guyana leading the charge in climate change and environmental sustainability, and simultaneously developing its tourism industry, by 2030 no other tourism product will come close to what the country will offer.

This goal will be achieved through the massive investment that the government continues to exhaust in the tourism industry in collaboration with the private sector.

This was emphasised by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during the launch of the Visual Chronicles of the Mahaica Wetlands and Mangroves book at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown on Wednesday.

“We have to build this brand Guyana and value this brand Guyana…Make no mistake, and mark my words today, by 2030 no tourism product in this region will come close to Guyana’s tourism product. We will have the facilities, we will have the infrastructure,” President Ali assured.

The book was published by the Environmental Management Consultants (EMC) Foundation in partnership with the United Kingdom International Development.

The head of state said the value in nature carries both an economic and financial weight. As such, it is important for agencies to plan keenly and look at the opportunities that could be derived from the environment.

Products such as the Visual Chronicles of the Mahaica Wetlands and Mangroves which pictorially demonstrate the importance of the eco-system in the area, build out the fundamentals of what Guyana offers.

As such, collaborating with the private sector and transitioning it to align with the national development priorities of the country is of utmost importance.

“It is how we marry the goals of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the goals like the EMC Foundation with the national goals in ensuring that we build an integrated product,” the president stressed.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller expressed gratitude to the government and the EMC foundation for allowing the UK agency the opportunity to work along with the Guyanese diaspora to experience the valuable resources of the country.

“We wanted to test our tools here in Guyana and this is a result of one of our products in the country that will now be rolled out across the world,” the British High Commissioner expressed.

Founder and Director of the EMC Foundation, Shyam Nokta noted that his decision to focus the book on the Mahaica area is due to the rich biodiversity where tourism opportunities varies.

“Today, the Mahaica water front is an eco-tourism hotspot. It is one of the few places in Guyana where you are guaranteed to see wildlife including many keynote species such as our national bird, the Canje Phesant, the Humming Bird and a variety of costal birds. It is where tourism opportunities abounds,” Nokta stated.

Established in 2022, the EMC Foundation has been going into schools and even in the public domain educating persons on the richness of Guyana’s environment and what it has to offer.