GUYANA'S tourism has finally secured the breakthrough it wanted in Europe, with the local Rainforest Tours clinching a deal with Ara Tours of Germany and Holland.

The joint venture is something the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) is excited about, especially since the partnership will also make possible Guyana's first Classical Music Concert.

Ara (a German word meaning Macaw) Tours, headed by German Peter Buttel, will be sending 10-20 Europeans to Guyana every month starting in February next year as part of a deal with Rainforest Tours.

Just what Ara Tours is interested in, Rainforest Tours, which started some seven years ago, will be fulfilling its end of the deal by facilitating the tourists for 21 days in Guyana.

The package being offered by Rainforest Tours, as is marketed by Ara in Holland and Germany, is dubbed `Jungle Trekking’.

According to Rainforest Managing Director, Mr. Frank Singh, `Jungle Trekking’ means just that -14 days of hiking through Guyana's magnificent jungle with a chance to indulge in the country's breathtaking spots and Amerindian communities.

After allowing and facilitating the tourists to get acquainted with Guyana, the 14-day journey into Guyana's rainforest takes the visitors overland from Georgetown to Linden, then to Mahdia and on to Potaro. From there, the tourists camp out at Amatuk, then hike for two days to Waratuk.

The tour then moves on to Tukite - the bottom of Kaieteur Falls. The adventurers will then hike to the top.

The package also includes a stop at the Amerindian Village of Chenapau. The journey through Guyana's forest comes to an end at Ayangana, where the tourists are airlifted back to Georgetown.

It’s a package that costs one person US$800 and affords the tourist a 40- kilometre cross-country march and navigation.

Breaking the news of the partnership, Singh told the Chronicle that this is the chance for his business to make it big. But looking at the wider picture, he said this is Guyana's start to sound business with adventure-hungry Europeans.

Buttel first came here in November this year and was so moved by what he experienced that he has decided to promote Guyana through his offices in Germany and Holland, Singh said.

Buttel learnt of Guyana through the Guyana Embassy in Suriname. He came here, got into contact with THAG, and the connection with Rainforest Tours was made.

To find out if it was really what he wanted, Buttel decided to trek through the Guyana jungle. He did so with three tourists from Czechoslovakia, Germany and Austria.

From his experience, Buttel felt sure he could sell Guyana's eco-tourism to Europeans, and hence the link-up with Rainforest Tours.

Buttel has also decided to become a bonafide member of THAG. He will do what is required to fulfill that obligation on his trip back to Guyana in February.

Singh told the Chronicle he is excited about the initiative and is optimistic that with proper marketing, Guyana's brand of tourism can hit it big with the Europeans.

Executive Director of THAG, Ms. Indira Anandjit said she is happy with the initiative and said that it is significant that the venture will take off next year, which has been designated World Eco-Tourism Year by the United Nations.

However, in order to take on the number of tourists who might be interested in Guyana will require more investment in the sector, Anandjit said.

Anandjit said she is encouraged by Government's efforts to plug investment in eco-tourism, and added that it is the only way the international marketing programmes will “make sense.”

Anandjit pointed out that Guyana couldn’t handle mass tourism, since the sector is poorly equipped to do so.

Judging from the number of rooms available at the hotels, she said Guyana can only accommodate 1 200 genuine tourists at any one time, and so investment in the sector is badly needed.

Anandjit described Guyana as “an undiscovered paradise”, and said that with the kind of marketing that will now happen in Europe, the tourists will come.

Meantime, Anandjit said that Buttel is into adventure of another type - classical music.

As such, THAG has decided that a Classical Music Concert would be ideal for a fundraiser. The event will be pulled off by Buttel's own band, which has just completed a concert in Austria.

The event, she said, will take place sometime in March or April and will be the first of its kind in Guyana. She is sure of success, for Buttel's band plays classical music with a touch that Guyanese will surely love.