Tourism, Foreign Affairs team up to boost Guyana’s economic tourism

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Georgetown : At the Tourism Ministry Colgrain House, Minister of Telecommunication and Tourism, Catherine Hughes presented 23 retractable banners to Director of the Diaspora Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, An Yin Choo. The banners will be mounted in Guyana’s embassies and high commissions in the Middle and Far East, North and South America, Europe and countries across the Caribbean as part of the Government’s initiative to develop the country’s tourism.

The colourful banners depict Guyana’s rich flora and fauna, the majestic Kaieteur Falls, the Red House and other attractive aspects of the country.

During the handing over ceremony yesterday, Minister Hughes explained that this initiative represents the beginning of a process that highlights that the foreign missions do have a role to play in marketing the country.

The minister explained that President David Granger had announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be the driving force of an initiative called ‘economic diplomacy’.  Essentially, this entails the presence of a specialised officer in each of Guyana’s foreign missions who would be responsible for sourcing potential investors for Guyana and opening negotiations. 

The presence of these specialised officers is meant to create and build awareness of the country’s trade benefits that come with its geographical location, at the northern tip of the South American continent, and the special tourism products and niches, some of which are very unique to Guyana. 

Their work will be incomplete and inefficient without the necessary materials, such as “brochures and other literature, posters, pictures and paintings, souvenir items that are uniquely Guyanese and the retractable banners,” the Minister noted.

Additionally, this will also generate income for Guyana and create awareness about the country internationally as an exciting adventure and vacation destination.