Georgetown: Guyana will once again be represented at the annual British Bird Watching Fair in Rutland, London which is slated for August 16th – August 18th, this year.
The Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh confirmed the country’s presence while he explained that the Guyana team will comprise of representatives from GTA, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) responsible for booth management, Rupununi Trails, Wilderness Explorers, Dadanawa and the Guyana High Commission in London; specialist bird guide, Mr. Luke Johnson will also be on hand to answer pertinent questions.
With over 860 bird species found in the destination, Guyana has, over the years evolved into a bird watcher’s paradise, and 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.
After the fair, a seminar titled ‘Guyana Summer Evening’ will be staged attracting 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 ranked by numerous tour companies, international travel publications and given very good branding and endorsements; the destination was labeled “God’s Garden”, a Birder’s Paradise, and branded as the hottest new neo-tropical birding destination; Guyana was also listed as one of the top 20 places to visit and in the top 100 adventure destinations of a lifetime.
According to Haralsingh, with over 10 years of exposure at the BBWF, the largest bird fair in the world, Guyana will present in a more magnified way, adding to its credence as a birding hotspot.
Birds of Essequibo- a Checklist will also be displayed at the event; this publication is an integral part of the development of the Essequibo Tourism Circuit which is a project that seeks to highlight the tourism potential of Essequibo.
Through the study done by the Guyana Amazon Tropical Bird Society (GATBS), a number of locations which already house interior lodges and resorts were found to be homes for a number of much sought after bird species, making Essequibo a hotspot for birding activities.
Alluding to additional features of Guyana’s participation this year , the GTA Director revealed that for the first time, the country will be promoting BUTTERFLY SPOTTING ; this he said will add to the appeal of the destination,
“For the very first time, we will be showcasing, along with opportunity for bird watching, Guyana’s potential for butterfly watching,” Mr. Haralsingh added.
To boost this potential, the GTA will also be promoting the publication, ‘An introduction to Butterflies of the Iwokrama Forest and Communities of the North Rupununi District”.
The GTA/ THAG booth number 86 will be located in marquee 4, in the Travel/Tourism category.
As to the importance of continued participation in this event, the GTA Director said, “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 Bird fair is expected to be bigger and better than ever , as the event is in its 25th Anniversary year, there will be hundreds of stands selling the latest products for wildlife enthusiasts, from scopes to sculptures, binoculars to bird food, e-Guides to eco-holidays; this event also attracts the who’s who in the bird-watching industry.
Described as the birdwatcher’s Glastonbury, The British Birdwatching Fair is jointly organised by the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust and the RSPB and encompasses the whole spectrum of the bird watching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation.
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