The year 2008 may have just begun, but already persons are making plans for events for 2009 as is the case with the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, who has set up a special committee to plan and execute a Miss Tourism Amazon pageant billed for next year.
The pageant, which will be the first among seven other countries sharing the Amazon, is part of efforts to promote sustainable tourism activities in the Amazon.
According to a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Prashad at the recent launching of the pageant, urged the organisers to maintain high standards.
“The hosting of beauty pageants is something that the tourism ministry is known for. At the same time some of the organisers have not been complying with the standards and agreements made prior to the event. I have confidence that this committee will do a good job as we have some of the most experienced and key personnel in the tourism industry to make this happen,” the minister was quoted as saying.
It is not only the ministry that would be integrally involved in the pageant but also the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), the Amazon Co-operation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) and members of the private sector.
Next year has been identified as the year when the Amazon will become a tourism destination and a calendar of activities has been developed to promote and present the region as a tourism destination on the international market. According to the release among the activities planned are; the pageant, the International World of the Amazon Tourism fair, the annual ACTO awards ceremony for sustainable tourism Amazon tourism awareness week for which all eight of the Amazon countries will be participating. There is also the trails of the Amazon expeditions and the Trans-Amazon 4×4 rally.
It was noted that the potential for tourism development in the Amazon lies in the vast expansion of land, about 7,100 kilometres, carrying 16% of all fresh water in the world with a population of approximately 30 million people. It also serves as the home and habitat for at least 45,000 plant species, 1,800 species of butterflies, 1,300 species of fresh-water fish, 163 species of amphibians, 305 species of snakes, 1,000 species of birds and 311 mammals.
