Inaugural ‘Three Guianas Expo’ set for Feb. 2020
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, November 7, 2019
The richness and beauty of cultures and traditions of Guyana, French Guiana and the Republic of Suriname will be showcased at the inaugural Three Guianas Exposition from February 6-9, 2020.
The event, which will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), will feature the best that three countries have to offer through education, tourism, entertainment, cuisines, art and fashion packages.
At the media launched today, at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Director-General of the Department of Tourism, Donald Sinclair, explained that this event promises to be an exciting one as citizens of all the countries will experience a kaleidoscope of cultures of the three Guianas.
Sinclair disclosed that earlier in the day, the expo committee comprising representatives from Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana had convened to plan the activities for the four-day event. He reported that the meeting was very productive, and from all indications, the expo is going to be a very memorable event.
At today’s media launch, participants were given a glimpse of what Guyana has to offer through a mini fashion show and a fusion of Indian and African drumming, and a performance by masqueraders. Representatives from each of the host countries also screened a short video of what their countries have to offer.
Vice-Chair of the Guyana Tourism Board, Andrea De Caires, who is also representing Guyana on the Committee noted that the idea of the expo has been in the making for many years, and it was felt that now was the time to bring to it fruition.
“… working with our partners, you can tour three countries; this is a big deal… So, the idea is to bring all of the players together and to discuss how it can be made more fluid; how we can overcome the hurdles, show the best of what we have to offer to each other, bringing our dances together and bringing our arts together. We all came together and figure out how we move forward,” De Caires explained.
The ‘Three Guianas Exposition’ will open on Thursday, February 6, 2020, with an official ceremony, followed by the expo and market place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Other activities will be unveiled soon.
The three Guianas – French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana, were discovered by French, Spanish and English explorers in the 16th century. During that time, their river valleys were made into plantation colonies by the Dutch and English. Though at the same latitude and topographically similar, each of the countries is defined by a distinct colonial footprint.
Guyana is the fourth-smallest country in South America after French Guiana, Suriname and Uruguay; it has four distinct geographical areas: The Low Coastal Plain; the Hilly Sand and Clay Belt; the Highland Region and the Interior Savannahs. It is known for its pristine rainforest and wildlife including giant anteaters, jaguars, harpy eagles, black caiman, giant river otters, arapaima (the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish) and much more. It is home to the world’s largest single drop waterfall, Kaieteur Falls.
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean in the north, French Guiana in the east, Guyana in the west, and Brazil in the south. Like Guyana, most of Suriname’s magic is in its wild interior. The cultural draw to Suriname’s jungles is the Maroons, the descendants of escaped slaves who re-created an African way of life deep in the forest and were essentially forgotten for centuries.
French Guiana, an overseas territorial collectivity of France, situated on the northeastern coast of South America. French Guiana is bounded by Brazil to the south and east, Suriname to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast. The capital is Cayenne. French Guiana also has some unique attractions including the Îles du Salut off-shore islands known for their creepy yet fascinating prison camps, such as the famed Île du Diable (Devil’s Island in English).
The annual event will be hosted in Suriname in 2021 and French Guiana in 2022.