STAKEHOLDERS, in an effort to position and promote the Rupununi as a tourist destination, have launched a Rupununi Tour Guide.

Hailed as a major marketing tool, the guide which was created by Visit Rupununi and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is expected to promote the wonders of both North and South Rupununi, through colourful pages.

Director of the GTA, Indranauth Haralsingh, says it will be used at local and international trade shows to attract tourists and develop Guyana’s tourism industry at a time when diversification and utilisation of resources are critical.

Its ability to attract tourists is due to the fact that the guide includes scenes from the Rupununi, a list of the tour operators in the area, lodges and a number of other facts about the tourist hub.

The GTA Director pointed out that the North Rupununi was an extraordinary natural area in southern Guyana that for the last 30 years had been isolated from the public. The North Rupununi extends from the Siparuni River to the Kanuku Mountains and from the Essequibo River to the Brazilian border.

The Rupununi website outlines that the area was well known in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when it received visits from David Attenborough, Gerald Durrell, Evelyn Waugh and Charles Waterton; all of whom wrote eloquently of their experiences.

Added to that the recent upgrading of the Georgetown-Lethem road and the completion of the Takutu Bridge, these open new economic opportunities that may bring rapid change to the savannahs, forests and eco-systems.

The guide says: “Over the coming years, it will be important to effectively marry development and conservation interests in the Rupununi to ensure culturally, socially and ecologically sustainable development that builds on the unique natural and social capital of the area. This will only be possible if all involved parties work together towards the same shared dream of the future.”

In order to keep up with the rapidly changing society, Haralsingh said that they have been providing training for tour guides, boat captains and relevant residents of the communities.

It is a step in making the area a worldwide name known for its features such as fishing, cattle ranching, rodeo and the renowned music festival and North and South Rupununi Safaris. And, the hunt is still on for potential opportunities that can be exploited.