A new eco lodge in Warapoka is expected to provide visitors with a more nature-based experience.
Warapoka is the only community in the Moruca sub-region that is exploring tourism opportunities as a means of fostering sustainable livelihood.
Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal recently visited the community to respond to a request from villagers during the National Toshaos conference.
“I’m pleased to say on behalf of his excellency the President that your request for the lodge has been approved, and it will be part of this year’s response, in fact the budgetary allocation we have made available is 8 million dollars for your lodge,” Minister Croal announced, to the applause of villagers.
In 2021, the community commissioned a guest house that accommodated visitors. However, there was a challenge with its location.
“Our guest house is at the centre of the village. We had issues already where we had to ask residents around the guest house to turn down their music. We don’t want tourism to interfere with our personal lives, that’s one of the reasons we want to move the lodge to a place (away) from the village, with less human activity, and the guests will have more nature experiences,” Toshao Jeremy Boyal said.
The community has been developing its tourism product since 2017. It has since received support from the Guyana Tourism Authority to expand its tour guiding, culinary, administration and financial management.
Warapoka offers an authentic indigenous experience, indulging visitors in cultural and traditional practices. The village is also home to the Harpy Eagle and other exotic wildlife.
“Sometimes in the year we have a peak season, like last year we had about 70 foreigners, besides that, I would say we have local Guyanese guests coming, so we are actually ready to host guests,” Toshao Boyal told the Department of Public Information in a recent interview.
Boyal noted that people have also been benefiting financially from the tourism business.
“Tourism has provided employment. One time, I was very happy when a staff member came to me and said Toshao, I was able to buy zinc from the money I earned from tourism, and that was something positive for me,” he noted.
People from the village who had left found employment in the tourism sector with tour companies.
However, despite its preparedness for tourism, the number of visitors has been low due to the high cost of getting to and from the village.
“Tourism is a lot of work by the way, I don’t think communities fully understand that, but I think for Warapoka here, we want to support other villages, if necessary, they can come and see what we are doing, we want to share the experience with them,” he stated.
The village will soon be working with the University of Guyana and Conservation International to help document the wildlife and their marketing strategies.
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