On Thursday, August 26, 2002, Visit Rupununi and the Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition together signed a Memorandum of Understanding which signifies the beginning of a partnership to promote the Rupununi region of Guyana as a warm and welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ tourists.
Visit Rupununi is a non-profit regional
destination marketing and management organization which has been developing
sustainable eco-tourism products within the Rupununi region while conserving
the nature-based, traditional heritage of local indigenous peoples and the
wider Rupununi region.
The Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition is comprised
of the Guyana Trans United (GTU), SASOD Guyana and SWAG. Together, these
organizations have been tirelessly advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people
in Guyana.
Providing brief remarks before signing the
historic agreement, President of Visit Rupununi, Melanie McTurk, shared details
about their eco-tourism products which are centered around nature, wildlife
conservation and outstanding hospitality. And while the Rupununi region has
always had a good history of hosting LGBTQ+ guests in the past, Mc Turk pointed
out that being able to feel safe and be respected is what everyone desires when
looking for a holiday destination. She said “with this in mind it is important
for the Rupununi that we continue to equip ourselves with the skills and
knowledge to appeal to an ever-growing market base to ensuring that all
visitors to the Rupununi are treated with equal respect and consideration.”
The Memorandum of Understanding formalizes
the partnership between these organizations whose common goal is to promote the
Rupununi as a tourism destination that is LGBTQ+ friendly. One of the ways the
parties to the agreement plan to do this is having the Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition
train members of Visit Rupununi on LGBTQ+ issues in order to sensitize their
representatives. The Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition will begin by training 15-20 Visit
Rupununi trainers, and the training will teach them how to deliver the training
themselves within their organization going forward.
Visit Rupununi’s
Melanie McTurk (left) signs while GTU’s Miglon Braithwaite (second from right)
SASOD Guyana’s Melina Harris (second from left) and Joel Simpson (right) look
on.
[Photo Credit:
Vishani Ragobeer / News Room]
Noting the importance and value of the “pink
dollar” internationally, Mc Turk shared that “the LGBTQ+ travel market was
worth more than USD$218 billion worldwide while the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S
alone, spends 10 percent of its purchasing power, or nearly $100 billion US, on
luxury travel.” Mc Turk went on to say that “through our collaboration with the
LGBTQ+ Coalition we will be taking the first steps to ensuring that the
Rupununi is a region that is safe and welcoming to all persons regardless of
race, class, or sexual orientation.”
In supporting the sentiments of the Visit
Rupununi President, Simpson said that “certainly from a business perspective,
the private sector understands that there is no room for discrimination, money
doesn’t discriminate, when you make money, you don’t make gay or straight
money.”
He went on to say that “all of us will
benefit the more inclusive our society becomes in every single, sector and this
is something Guyanese believe, that if we allow everybody to participate in the
economy, we allow everybody to work, to earn a living without discrimination,
all of us will benefit, all of us will experience development.”
The signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding signifies the beginning of a strong partnership between the
Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition and Visit Rupununi. The parties are committed to
promoting Guyana as a safe and warm tourism destination that is LGBTQ+ friendly
for everyone within and outside of Guyana.
The
livestream is available on SASOD Guyana’s YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y8iMloTD2HU
