“Re-discover the ancient county”

─ photographic competition launched in Berbice to promote tourism

─ Canje Creek to be promoted as tourism destination 

DPI, Guyana, Friday, November 15, 2019

The Regional Tourism Committee (RTC), in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region, (Region 6) recently launched a photographic competition in observance of Tourism Awareness Month 2019.

The competition is open to all secondary school students and professional photographers from within the region. It entails photos submitted by the high schoolers on ‘Must see places in the ancient county’, while the professional photographers are expected to submit photos on ‘Natural scenery in the ancient county’.

Co-chairpersons for the Regional Tourism Committee, Keisha Hamid [second from right] and Travis Issacs [right] along with Regional Executive Office Kim Williams-Stephens at the launch of the competition.

Students of Berbice Educational Institute pay keen attention to a presentation.

Co-chair of the committee, Travis Isaacs interacts with students at the Berbice High School as they share knowledge on tourism.

Co-chairperson for the RTC, Keisha Hamid said registration began on November 8, and will close on November 26, at 16:00hrs. For those students who wish to be part of the competition, Hamid explained they must register by liking and sharing the Regional Tourism Committee-East Berbice-Corentyne’s Facebook Page, then subsequently posting their entries to the page for judging. The professional photographers must submit entries to the RTC at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Region 6; and enclose name, contact details, the photograph (in JPEG format) and a description of the national scenery depicted in the image.

Hamid posited prizes will be awarded at a public event including cash prizes, trophies and tokens and the designating of 20 students as tourism ambassadors. These students will return to their school and communities to spread awareness of the local tourism industry. The winning photographs will be featured in the Regional Tourism Committee publications and posters.

Over the past four days, the team has been visiting schools, across the region, to educate students on tourism in Berbice.

Meanwhile, Travis Isaacs, the Chairman of the Committee, explained that the aim of the competition is to heightened awareness, in and outside the region, of the tourism possibilities that exist in Berbice. It will also generate a bank of compelling tourism images available for use in tourism material and as part of décor in public spaces.

“This project was selected so that we can link tourism with education in having the school children involved. For the professional photographers when they would have provided us with their work, we hope to utilise those images so if you go into a restaurant or hotel you won’t see a picture of a foreign place but of natural scenery in Berbice,” Isaacs said.

Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer (REO), Kim Williams- Stephens said: “I am pleased with any project that is going to enhance the lives of persons within Berbice. The regional administration is happy to be a stakeholder in such activity. We know that through tourism our region can develop economically apart from relaxation it would be a means where persons can actually be gainfully employed and so, we would have strengthened communities and a strengthened region and of course a better Guyana.”

The REO also noted that the competition opens avenues for future photographers, journalists and other exciting professions.

Additionally, a familiarisation tour to Canje Creek for travel influencers will take place on Saturday, November 16. Tour operators and other travel providers will visit the area to experience its lush flora and fauna, and picturesque scenery to boost tourism activity in the area.