Iwokrama mounting tourism initiatives
Stabroek News
November 30, 2002
The Iwokrama Inter-national Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development says it is activating during November and December a number of tourism initiatives that will benefit the institution as well as Guyana’s tourism sector.
According to a release, the first of these is the completion of the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway which is expected to be a notable addition to Iwokrama and Guyana’s ecotourism offerings. Visitors will be able to experience the rainforest from the unusual vantage point of 33 metres above ground amongst the tree tops.
In addition, researchers will be able to use the facility to work in a normally inaccessible location, the release stated.
Secondly the Iwokrama Field Station will host a two-week training course in Ecotourism Planning and Management for members of indigenous communities, in particular 26 participants from the 13 communities of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) and a participant each from the coastal communities of Santa Mission, St. Cuthbert’s, Santa Rosa and Shell Beach.
The release said that the course objective is to provide adequate awareness of the principles of tourism in general and ecotourism in particular as well as basic economic literacy training and business planning skills in the context of community-based ecotourism development and management.
The training course is being conducted by David Kestenbaum from Vermont, USA, who will in addition run two seminars at the Iwokrama Centre in Georgetown.
There will be a lunchtime seminar on December 4 which is open to the public, and a day-long seminar on December 9 for tour operators and government personnel involved in tourism administration, the release added.
