Prashad joined with the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana in celebrating the first phase of the Atta eco tourism lodge located near the Iwokrama Rainforest. According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release this is one of several ventures recently carried out during Tourism Awareness Month activities.
The lodge has been rehabilitated and now boasts eight spacious, rustic rooms that can accommodate 16 persons. Prashad said that the facilities are improving and that tourists can now be in the middle of ‘nowhere’, see the jungle and experience the wildlife. He noted that birding and bird spotting is an ideal pastime in areas like the Rupununi and urged citizens to take the opportunity to enjoy a ‘stay-cation’ and experience the country’s natural beauty instead of touring other Caribbean countries. Prashad said “experiencing Guyana in its full splendour has always been a key feature of the activities planned for the observance of tourism awareness month and tourists will be given an opportunity of a lifetime to experience the picturesque view of the beautiful flora and fauna when they visit the Canopy Walkway at Iwokrama which is 30 metres above ground.”
The minister also met with the lodge’s current caretakers, a couple from the UK who came with a familiarization tour in April.
The couple has fallen in love with what Guyana has to offer the rest of the world in the area of birding and has decided to volunteer six months of their lives to the Atta lodge, GINA said.
Additionally, Prashad commissioned a new service station by the Johnson family at Lethem.
The family also owns a 27-room guest house and other businesses in the area. The Takutu Gas Station is the third fuel station to be built in the area and it adds to the number of modern facilities being added to the Region Nine landscape. Seven new hotels are also being built.
The minister said over 50 plots of land have been allocated to the commercial sector in Lethem as it is attracting more investment as it develops. He urged residents to continue their hard work and pool their skills and resources in order to boost Lethem’s development.
Prashad recalled that at one time travel to Lethem would take a number of days and now with improved roadways and more money allocated to further develop roads, it would be a boon to businesses. Most of the bridges have been completed and strengthened and it is expected that numerous businesses including petrol and supply stores would open along the trails.
According to GINA the ministry has already increased efforts to encourage more Brazilians to visit Guyana since the area has great potential for tourism. Marketing activities have already started in partnership with the Guyana Tourism Authority and Chambers of Commerce in Lethem and in Boa Vista. Also, an area has been earmarked in the ministry’s multi-purpose complex where a tourism extension officer and a representative of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards will be stationed. Prashad also visited the Oasis Restaurant located in the vast outlying savannahs leading to Lethem.
