MOU signed to empower hinterland residents

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS89PV4AEN0″ width=”100%” height=”315″]

― Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry and Tourism Authority collaborate

― four communities currently benefitting from the investment

― more sport fishing, road development, airstrips

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, February 20, 2019

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), on Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to empower hinterland residents to generate economically sustainable activities.

At the signing, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock said this formal agreement will help to continue the positive direction the ministry has embarked on to enable community-based tourism projects.

[From left to right] Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Brian Mullis and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock in the presence of Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe, sign the Memorandum of Understanding.

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Brian Mullis.

He noted that those living within such areas are more capable of identifying and sustaining such ventures.

“It is about resources both human and financial so that we can have maximum output of the resources at hand… We have seen that going this route we can be of help through our various expertise.”

Minister Allicock noted that the ministry can achieve these objectives through collaboration and partnerships which will also help in the development of the country.

The initiative is one that focuses on nature and exploration through the cultural lens of Indigenous peoples.

“We have a great deal of pristine rainforest and ecosystems like our Savannahs and the guardians of those ecosystems have been our Indigenous peoples for a millennium… Persons are attracted to pristine nature and authentic cultural experience that together and not independent really is the number one attraction… while it uniquely differentiates Guyana from the rest of the world,” Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Brian Mullis explained.

He added that Moraikobai, Karasabai, Chenapou and Warapoka are the first four villages to benefit from the agreement that will see the establishment of community-based tourism projects.

Depending on the success of the projects, it will be replicated across Guyana.

“We have other communities are waiting for this eventuality because we believe the most profitable activity is community-based tourism which will have culture, nature, wildlife packages among others … Guyana is undiscovered and Guyana is now being discovered and we have to be ready with the type of service that we can provide,” Minister Allicock noted.

Neola Damon.

Images: Keno George.