A team of over 20 cast and crew members from the A&E’s History Channel has arrived to film ‘Bamazon,’ an eight-part documentary on the country’s pristine natural resources, which the government expects will boost the tourism market.
The team is expected to be in Guyana for six weeks to film some of the country’s most pristine areas that will advertise its eco-tourism potential, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
“The History Channel has a very wide reach and large market, which is consistently looking for different products that will rekindle them with nature and Guyana’s unique ability will help to meet those demands,” acting Minister of Tourism Irfaan Ali was quoted as saying when he greeted the team.
Tim Evans, President of the New River Holdings, a company that has been in Guyana for over five years, said Guyana’s unexplored nature is considered the Caribbean and South America’s best kept secret. “We have been searching for tourism resort and lodges across the country and we have found a lot of beautiful locations that would be terrific for eco-tourism and natural history programmes…we have been posting this information home to the History Channel who have showed interest and the first crew has arrived to start filming,” he explained.
Guyana was chosen because it is the only English speaking country in South America with non-stop flights to New York. Evans also noted that in addition to the natural resources the country also boasts a number of exotic wildlife and untouched forested areas. He described it as “the next great international destination to be discovered for eco-tourism…there are more pristine opportunities that are waiting to be explored here and I think this show is going to put Guyana on the map whilst creating a brand of recognition that will be recognized as a household name across the world.” Evans noted that the onus is now on citizens to share with the explorers the culture and ways of life which are pivotal to marketing the country.
Monica Martino, one of the History Channel’s executive producers, said the team will be heading into the interior to explore the rainforest and wildlife. “We wanted to share something new so we picked Guyana, since it is a place that can offer adventure, beauty, wildlife and excitement,” she said. Supervising producer Scott Madden said the documentary will be done in eight parts and broadcast on the History Channel later this year, reaching tens of millions of people around the globe.
“The documentaries will not only be based on Guyana today but how it made its historical presence in the world…the documentaries will be done through the eyes of seven men from southern Alabama who have never been to Guyana before and their perspectives about Guyana’s potential in the future…. the seven men will be exploring, looking for opportunities, investigating, camping, fishing and hiking, all of which will be captured on film,” Madden explained. He also said the team was delighted to be visiting Guyana and to let the world know about the steps it has taken to sustain its pristine forest for the benefit of the world.
