ECO-TOURISM development and expansion in Guyana received another boost when Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manzoor Nadir last Thursday officially launched the Roraima Airways `Arrowpoint Nature Resort’.

The minister, recollecting his brief visit in 1997 to the area where the resort is located, said he is "stunned" by the significant strides that have been made in four years, adding that from what he has seen, it is comparable to many other places he has visited. Speaking on the environmental atmosphere surrounding the resort he remarked, "It is one which can cause you to re-create yourself."

Nadir expressed the view that the establishment and success of Arrowpoint will stimulate others to invest in the setting up of similar resorts. Competition is healthy for the industry and "this will keep Roraima on its toes," he added.

Emphasising the need to promote and market tourism in Guyana, the minister appealed to the media to help in this respect.

"We need to sell Guyana," he declared and added that the tourism industry will take off "when entrepreneurs start making money."

The minister also spoke of the employment and commercial opportunities the resort can create for the community. He said members of the community could earn a livelihood by becoming suppliers of vegetables, meat and other foodstuff for the resort.

Nadir announced that as part of his Ministry's promotion of a clean environment which is essential for the success of the industry, a Best Community Competition will be held during tourism month next year.

He also said that he is working towards tourism becoming a significant foreign exchange earner for Guyana, anticipating that the earnings from the industry can reach US$100M in the next four years.

Managing Director of Roraima Airways Inc., Captain Gerry Gouveia, recollected that the Arrowpoint Nature Resort had its humble beginnings as a weekend home for his family in 1993. Several visitors to the site encouraged him to venture into the eco-tourism business. He said that "somewhat reluctantly”, he ventured into making the weekend home a nature resort.

Captain Gouveia explained that the concept behind the resort is a "back to nature experience, not a physical structure, "emphasising that "it is not somewhere to go and lie down in a hammock". Rather, it is geared towards adventure tourism, like canoeing, swimming, trail bike riding and trail walking.

"We encourage people to discover nature while having fun," Gouveia explained.

The family-oriented cabins at the resort have all been built with indigenous materials by the Amerindians from the nearby Santa/Aratack settlement. Their walls were built with logs obtained from the manicole trees and the roofs are thatched with troolie leaves, all of which are obtained within the community, Captain Gouveia related. However, he added that they are all equipped with conventional amenities and electricity is provided by a generator and from solar power.

The resort is also equipped with modern communication systems including cellular and satellite telephone and a VHF radio system. The communication systems are used for both management purposes and response to emergencies, Gouveia pointed out. Safety of guests is also of paramount importance, he added.

Captain Gouveia singled out Ms. Joan Sardinha, Roraima Airways Director for Tourism & Commerce for her resourcefulness in ensuring that the design and layout of the resort were compatible with nature.

Care and protection of the environment are vital components of the resort's policy. The administration does not permit the killing of animals or the removal of plants from the resort. Preservation of the flora and fauna in the environment is given special attention, Gouveia emphasised.

Disposal of waste is carried out in an environmentally friendly manner. Liquid wastes pass through a filtering system comprising sand and coal before they are released back into the environment. Solid waste like bottles and plastic containers are buried, and disposable solids are burned at the resort's incinerator, Gouveia explained.

Community involvement and development are also key aspects of Arrowpoint's policy. Once monthly, a Discovery movie is shown for the benefit of the children of the community, and a library is now being constructed for the school at Santa/Aratack Mission. In addition, regular contributions are made towards the improvement of the school. Arrowpoint management also hosts an annual Christmas party for the children, Gouveia pointed out.

Village Captain of Santa/Aratack Mission, Mr. Clive Patterson welcomed the establishment of the resort, stating its establishment has created employment, opportunities for education and trade for the community. He said he looks forward to working in close collaboration with the resort’s management.

Patterson told the gathering that according to a legend associated with Arrowpoint, a Dutchman had buried a jar of gold there. He humourously remarked that perhaps Captain Gouveia has found that jar!

Media personnel were given the opportunity to walk or bicycle on a two-mile trail around the resort mapped out for tourists. After completing the trail, they then canoed back to the resort's main cabin.

Arrowpoint Nature Resort sits on seven acres of land located seven miles west of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on the left bank of the Pokerero Creek in the Santa/Aratack Amerindian Reservation. The resort is named after the many arrow trees that grow in the area which Amerindians used to make arrows for hunting.