The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has added ‘butterfly spotting’ to the ‘Destination Guyana’ promotions being showcased at the British Bird Watching Fair, now underway in Rutland, London.
In a press release, GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh said though Guyana has over 10 years of exposure at the British birding fair, “For the very first time, we will be showcasing, along with opportunity for bird watching, Guyana’s potential for butterfly watching.”
The fair began yesterday and will conclude tomorrow. Team Guyana comprises representatives from the agency, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (which will be responsible for booth management) Rupununi Trails, Wilderness Explorers, Dadanawa and the Guyana High Commission in London, who will be promoting the booklet, ‘An introduction to Butterflies of the Iwokrama Forest and Communities of the North Rupununi District’ to introduce this new activity to the tourism roster.
In addition, the Birds of Essequibo booklet, which is a checklist integral to the promotion of the Essequibo Tourism Circuit, will also be displayed at the fair. A study done by the Guyana Amazon Tropical Bird Society found several locations in Essequibo to be the habitat of many sought-after bird species making the area a hotspot for birding activities.
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the country will attract tourists in
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(whatsthatbug.com/
G Fischer photo)
With over 860 bird species found in Guyana, the nation has, over the years, become a bird watcher’s paradise, the GTA said. It also noted that the increase in interest to sell the destination is as a direct result of market-driven strategies focusing on bird watching as a niche market.
At the close of the fair, a seminar titled ‘Guyana Summer Evening’ will be staged for the international press and tour operators. This event will also feature presentations being made by members of the Guyana delegation.
In recent years, Guyana has been recognised and endorsed by numerous tour companies and international travel publications and was even given the label ‘God’s Garden’. Guyana was also listed as one of the top 20 places to visit and was listed among the top 100 adventure destinations of a lifetime.
According to Haralsingh, it is crucial that Guyana continues participating in the birding fair as “This platform provides the perfect opportunity for networking, for the promotion of Guyana and for the generating of important feedback that will lead to the development of this important niche market.”
This year’s fair is expected to be bigger and better than the last as it is observing its 25th anniversary. Hundreds of stands selling the latest products for wildlife enthusiasts; from scopes to sculptures, binoculars to bird food, e-Guides to eco-holidays are expected to attract birding enthusiast to this milestone event.
Described as the birdwatcher’s Glastonbury, the British Birdwatching Fair is jointly organised by the Leicestershire, Rutland Wildlife Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and encompasses the whole spectrum of the bird watching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation, the press release said.
