While seeking to shift to an income beyond the traditional framer, Amerindian Villagers from the Island of Warapoka in Region One are expected to benefit from tourism. There has been the official naming of the location as a tourist destination.
The community with just close to 600 residents, complained that due to the fact that the main income through farming has been affected for some time, revenue declined. This put many families in danger of not having enough to survive.
Through a way of sharing their culture, their environment, and a nature experience, the village with support from Guyana Tourism Authority(GTA) launched its tourism product.
During the weekend the community launched the Warapoka Lodge Horo Hanoco guesthouse. The community can now offer overnight accommodation.
The building was commissioned by the acting Director of Tourism Mr. Kamrul Baksh. Baksh said that the GTA has been working with the community for the past five years to build their tourism product.
There was also the launching of the Warapoka Community as a tourist destination. This allows the community to fully function on its own and to garner its own income.
“It will provide meaningful employment for housekeepers, for managers, and so forth. It is creating employment within this community.
“The people have been moving very aggressively toward adding tourism to the village economy. While understanding also the need for leisure and for having people visit the island, Mr. Baksh further encouraged those who are contemplating to come to the island as there is much to be offered.
“You can come and see the Harpy Eagle; they have a nesting site here. There is also the alaca snail experience that you can have, a great Warrau culture and craft that come to life, great stories about this place. You can also have hiking experiences here.
“There is a system of caves as well that you can see.”
So, it has a lot to offer, and more importantly is it allows a person to just unwind and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city,” Baksh said.
Toshao of Warapoka Village, Jeremy Boyal, said that over time some of the cultures of the community have been dying and as a revitalization of the culture, the community plans to use the young people to learn and share the culture will those coming to visit.
“From age 40, right now in the village, I don’t know the language, I know maybe one or two I can speak it so. It’s something that I’m hoping through tourism, through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and widely the Government of Guyana to help support the language revival project,” Mr. Boyal said.
Adding to the exchange in culture, Mr. Boyal pointed out that only the community will directly benefit from the tourism experience through employment etc.
“So, we are creating employment. Most of these employees are family men. So, people benefiting directly and indirectly from the project so far and not only employment but benefiting from training by GTA as well”
With the commission of the new Guesthouse and tourism product, visitors can now afford visitors the opportunity to stay overnight in the village and enjoy activities such as tarpon fishing, cassava bread making & more.
The Guesthouse has six bedrooms and Warapoka is the only indigenous community in which has a complete tourist package.
