Veteran helicopter pilot produces another documentary on Guyana 

The fourth in a line of documentaries on Guyana by veteran Guyanese helicopter pilot Mike Charles was launched on Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. The documentary – Sounds and Colours of the Rainforest – showcases a unique collection of flora and fauna from our 18.5 million hectares of intact rainforest and more. 

Speaking at the launch, Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips said that Guyana’s tourism sector is poised to become a central pillar of our non-oil economy. “We are committed to strengthening the sector which has been identified as a future economic growth pole. In the next coming years, you will witness a transformation of tourism with unprecedented levels of investment, including tourists arrival and utilizing more engine marketing tools,” Phillips said. 

According to the Prime Minister, much emphasis is being placed on this sector given the firm belief that it can derive tremendous economic benefits.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Oneidge Walrond said that her ministry is happy to support any initiative that showcases Guyana. 

“I remain extremely optimistic that Guyana’s tourism sector will recover, and these videos can prove to be essential tools in the recovery process,” Minister Walrond said while adding that during the downtime caused by COVID-19, her ministry has been focusing on training and promotion. 

She noted that videos like “Sounds and Colours of the Rainforest” are a great way of reminding visitors what kind has to offer in terms of tourism. To this end, she said, “I hope that it captivates you to grab your sanitisers and masks and begin to explore Guyana.” 

During a brief comment, Charles, who has been a helicopter pilot for some 37 years, said that it would be remiss of him not to share the beauty that Guyana possesses. 

“It has helped to popularize Guyana as an ecotourism destination, placing Guyana among the elite as a recommended must-visit country, and that is a place we should be, and it should be there for a long time,” the veteran helicopter pilot said. 

He also used the opportunity to remind officials that that Guyana’s Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) legislation needs updating.