Explore Guyana 2014 Magazine was released Thursday at an El Dorado Rum Punch Social at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street under the theme ‘Come, Re-Discover Guyana.’
The magazine is in its fifteenth edition, marking 12 years of partnership with Advertising and Marketing Services Limited. Christopher Nascimento, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) thanked everyone gathered at the launch for sharing an ‘important
and very precious moment” with THAG, while urging the government to invest in the advertisement of the magazine.
He stated that there is an urgent expectation for the print to the doubled and distributed.
“We need to give Explore Guyana worldwide distribution and we look to the government to help us do just that because we can’t afford on it on our own,” Nascimento said.
He said that the 15th edition zooms in on colonial buildings and their architectural features, noting that historical buildings have great value to a country.
He, therefore, charged the government to reserve money for the buildings’ preservation.
Speaking about the City Hall, one of the buildings featured in the magazine, he said that the building is being allowed to collapse. “But we must not allow it. We need to fix it as fast as we can,” he stated, adding that Guyana was fortunate that the historic structures featured in the magazine had managed to preserve their unique character and charm”.
He referred to the residence of the Brazilian Ambassador on Peter Rose Street, built in 1939 by the De Freitas family; Woodbine House, now Cara Lodge; Dargon House, now the UNESCO Office; Sharples House, now Duke Lodge; the home of the Anglican Bishop, Austin House and the Go-Invest Office once owned by the Kidmans and Kerry families.
He further added that he was distraught at the amount of “rot and decay” that is being allowed to cover the capital city.
Addressing the Tourism Minister and the Prime Minister, he said that Guyana cannot be promoted as a tourist destination when the city was collapsed in garbage. “It is a total contradiction,” he said.
However, he said that “no fingers should be pointed” at anyone and Guyana should start being competitive at both the regional and international level.
Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali said the magazine marks a very important point in the development of the tourism sector.
A point which he said requires maturity from all sectors of the country.
