Tourism Minister Manzoor Nadir said the visit of a large cruise ship here signals a turning point for Guyana's tourist industry.

The Government Informa-tion Agency (GINA), in a press release, said Nadir made this observation during his address to crew members of the Europe-based cruise ship, Minerva II, which docked for 14 hours at the John Fernan-des wharf in Georgetown yesterday.

Nadir said cruise ship visits to Guyana could be arranged were this country to host games for the 2007 cricket world cup, GINA stated.

World cup cricket in this part of the world is likely to attract approximately 150,000 tourists.

The minister noted, however, that while Minerva II's arrival signals a positive turning point for Guyana in terms of promoting the country as an eco-tourism, cultural and heritage destination, receiving similar vessels on a regular basis can be hindered because the mouth of the Demerara River is shallow.

The Minerva II has 534 passengers and more than 300 crew members. The ship arrived here from Brazil around 4:30 am and departed for Venezuela at about 6 pm. The release said the cruise ship is one of several managed by the Swan Hellenic and Carnival line and its arrival here was fostered by the Tourism Ministry, the Customs and Trade Administration and the Guyana Tourism Authority.

The Guyana Manufactur-ers' Association organised several displays of local art and craft, jewellery, food and beverages among other items as well as a cambio booth for the Minerva II's passengers. Nadir noted that Guyanese including tour guides, bus operators, resort owners, vendors and aviation companies benefited directly from the stop, GINA said.

Wilderness Explorers, in the capacity of local tour operator, set up trips for several of the Minerva II's passengers around the city, to the Kaieteur National Park and the Shanklands, Baganara Island and Timberhead resorts.

Another cruise ship carrying 160 passengers is expected in Guyana later this month, the release noted.