Roraima and Department of Sports partners on “Good Ambassadors” initiative

Jun 28, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....assadors-initiative/

The Department of Sport is working on adding Guyanese athletes to the pool of “Good Ambassadors” as they become more exposed to and familiar with Guyana’s tourism product. This programme is being implemented with the help of corporate entities including the Roraima Airways, according to Director of Sports, Christopher Jones during a visit to Arrowpoint Nature Resort over the weekend with 20 sports men and women.
Jones commended Roraima’s partnership with his Department and stated that Roraima is the first corporate tourism entity to come on board as a sponsor since the launch of the Tourism Seminar in April of this year.
“Roraima Airways is the first tourism company which has come on board to support our athletes since the inaugural Sports Tourism Seminar. The Department of Tourism is currently working on the Tourism Policy which incorporates sport and tourism. We want to expose our athletes to our local tourism product so when abroad they would be able to effectively promote Guyana. And by virtue of Roraima Airways coming on board, this would enhance athletes’ ability to market Guyana’s tourism product. On behalf of the Department, I would like to thank Roraima for supporting our athletes”, the Director of Sports stated.
The Award winning 2016 THAG Resort of the year, Arrowpoint, hosted twenty Sports Awardees on Saturday June 24, which the Athletes experienced for the first time. The Arrowpoint experience included a tour of the Indigenous Village, Sanata Aratak Mission, activities which showcase the way of life of the indigenous people and a brush of Guyana’s wild life.
Speaking on the exposure of the athletes to Arrowpoint Nature Resort, Mr. Jones said; “I think it’s a worthy experience for our local athletes and Guyanese as a whole, because having experienced the best of Guyana’s tourism package one can appreciate their own country more, which would create the ripple effect of becoming quality ambassadors. I would therefore, encourage Guyanese in general to explore the tourism package.”
The Director of Sports also used the opportunity to highlight the business potential of sports tourism in Guyana, citing the increasing number of sport tourists to Guyana over the last five years as was referenced by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) at the inaugural Sports Tourism Seminar held in April. Additionally, he stated that Guyana will host five (5) international tournaments for the first time before the conclusion of 2017, one of which will be held on July 15thwhere athletes from approximately 17 countries will visit to participate in qualifying contests.
“My Department is ensuring that the facilities in Guyana are of a standard that will attract Regional and International tournaments and of course, that too will be twinned with exposing Guyana’s tourism products. Therefore, the Department of Tourism and tourism companies like Roraima Airways will be able to work on ensuring that in the next five years we can plan strategically for international tournaments,” Jones said.
Roraima’s partnership with the Sports Department forms part of the Company’s Corporate Social responsibility policy to promote Guyana’s Tourism product.