The Cooperative Republic of Guyana known as “The Land of Many Waters” is located on the northeast coast of South America. It is located between Venezuela and Suriname with Brazil to the southwest. The capital is Georgetown. Guyana’s tourism sector has been developing by focusing on the country’s natural beauty and attractions.
Guyana has impressive rivers, the largest of which is the Essequibo, 270 miles long and 21 miles wide. Not to be missed is the Kaiteur Falls, 400 feet wide, dropping to 400 feet, which is five times as high as Niagara Falls. The Rupununi savannahs and the Essequibo river have been drawing increasing attention from tourists and tour operators alike. With the world wide growth in eco-adventure and cultural tourism segments and narrow market niches, such as bird watching, a variety of opportunities exist for the industry to develop Guyana’s tourism product through investments in tourism operations.
Economic activity in Guyana was quite robust in 2008 with a real growth rate of 5.4%. This performance resulted in part from a substantial turnaround in the core production sectors, particularly sugar and rice. Guyana has experienced an upsurge in investment – both foreign and domestic - in recent years. Foreign direct investment exceeded US$250 million or 73% of total investments. The food products [including agriculture, seafood and aquaculture], mining and wood products sectors dominated receiving nearly 70% of total investment.
At the same time, Guyana has seen investment growth in Information and Communications Technology and IT enabled services, tourism and manufacturing.
Guyana, a parliamentary democracy has a population of approximately 770,000 utilising an area of 214,970 sq. km. (83,000 sq. mi.). It is the only English speaking country in South America.
Guyana is rich in natural resources with its main exports being gold, bauxite, sugar, rice, rum, seafood and wood products. The Guyana dollar (G$) currently stands at US$1.00 to G$ 205.16.
