The casual visitor and tourist to Guyana hoping to get around for Carifesta and long after can now grab a detailed pocket guide of the country that catalogues everything from where to eat upscale or less pricey to what is happening entertainment-wise daily.
As of today, the forest-green guide ‘Guyana where and what’, will be distributed at restaurants; hotels and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri among other busy spots and is available to anyone interested free of cost.
Guyana where and what, a private sector initiative which was launched yesterday at the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), offers a comprehensive guide of the country, dishing up details about places never mentioned before in major local publications and it also includes a handy roadmap of Guyana.
The guide follows up on a similar publication from last year that was launched ahead of Cricket World Cup and which flew off the shelves within a few months after 10,000 copies were printed. Some 50,000 copies of the new guide are expected to be printed this year.
Gem Madhoo-Nascimento who spearheaded the project told reporters yesterday that the guide is a labour of love that serves as an essential tourism ‘must-have’. She disclosed the initial launch was set for May but it was pushed back owing to delays from advertisers which she noted were few.
Since the project commenced in January this year advertisers were late signing on, according to Madhoo-Nascimento. She noted too that government did not support the initiative though they were approached and despite the lacklustre response from advertisers she added that the guide includes just about every business operating in the tourism sector.
THAG President, Renata Chuck-a-Sang called the guide a remarkable achievement that adds to the tourism sector in a huge way. She said that for sometime now THAG has been lobbying government to set up a central tourism desk for visitors to the country but has come up against a stonewall. According to her, government made mention of previously having a booth that was vandalized.
“If they are serious about tourism then a booth is not going to work, we need a central desk for persons coming in”, Chuck-a-Sang noted.
Public Relations Consultant, Kit Nascimento who edited the guide hailed it as unique. He said everything about Guyana was referenced in it from sports to culture to entertainment, adding that it serves to educate the average Guyanese as well.
Nascimento noted his disappointment at government’s non-support of the guide stating that commercial support was the key to its preparation. He said the value of the guide to the tourism industry is tremendous and lauded THAG among other private businesses for supporting it.
Bert Plas, General Manager of Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel added that finally his hotel can give guests a comprehensive guide of the country and not have them rely on second hand information. He noted also that persons staying with them are not likely to leave saying, “Why did I just only find out about Kaieteur Falls and I am leaving tomorrow”.
He said the guide is attractive looking; very handy and a welcome initiative in the tourism sector.
The guide was printed by Global Printing & Graphics Inc which is a subsidiary of Queens Atlantic Investment Inc. The company was lauded for a first-class printing job which was initially intended for a Trinidadian printery.
