“People go to Thailand on one week weight loss programmes, they go on programmes to go on a natural environment, detoxification programmes. This is what you call wellness tourism a new area that is emerging, that we have the natural capability to build a great sector out of it,” the Head of state said on Monday.
Guyana is looking to develop and diversify its tourism packages as the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is working on a number of initiatives that is geared towards the development of this sector.
President Irfaan Ali said the Tourism Ministry is aggressively working towards making Guyana the ‘top’ destination for wellness centers/tourism.
Wellness tourism is a growing sector and it refers to traveling to maintain or improve a person's health through spiritual, physical, and psychological activities. Some tourists may take part in well-being related activities as part of a journey, whereas others travel just for wellness.
In addition, the Ministry of Tourism is actively seeking investors to develop an Eco Resort in Guyana which will be linked to the Sun, Sand and Sea.
“That is why we’re building strong partnership with Barbados because if you have a family ten, 7 might want to go to Eco resort but 3 might want to go to the beach.” “We have to be able to have a product that delivers to a wide section of the market and that is what we’re working on. So we’re out aggressively looking for a world class investor for Eco Resort,” President Ali explained.
Guyana also aims to become a health and education hub for the Caribbean hence the recently announced Mount Sinai partnership.
“We are working with the best to make Guyana a health and education hub because more people coming in, requires more services. When there’s greater demand for services then facilities like these get a direct support mechanism.”
Meanwhile, the government is finalizing plans to develop a rainforest safari experience on some 500 acres of land along the Soesdyke highway. “This is no guest work, this is strategic thinking and strategic planning, all outside of the realm of oil and gas, it is all about positioning Guyana into new transformative areas” Sports tourism is also a component of the tourism package that the government is looking to develop.
According to President Ali, there is not excitement just in the tourism sector but there are several global companies who are examining Guyana’s legal system to make Guyana their corporate center for the Caribbean region.
“These are the things that excite us every day, it is not only about the building of roads, and the health centers and the schools and these things that are symbol of development. It is the hard work that goes on behind the scene to create this environment that will project Guyana along a path that brings the prosperity that we’re talking about.”
Dr. Ali noted that the legal framework will be changed to facilitate the much anticipated investment opportunities.
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