GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana has asked Canada to lift tourist visas for nationals trying to enter the North American country, Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman, has said.
“The High Commission in Georgetown continues to work on bringing a Canadian air carrier service to offer non-stop flights from Canada to Guyana” Berman told reporters.
“The government of Guyana has indicated their interest in having that discussion and we have advised Ottawa,” he added.
The Canadian diplomat said that Guyana is among 100 countries for which Canada has visa requirements, adding “it’s something we’re looking at and will make a determination.
“As I have said before, our commercial relationship with Guyana is growing and will continue to grow because we are natural partners, similarly, blessed with an abundance of natural resources, sharing many values, and enjoying strong people-to-people ties stemming from our sizeable Guyanese diaspora in Canada and many Canadians living in Guyana.”
“Canada has had a presence in Guyana for a very long time and we will remain close for a long time to come,” he added.
Meanwhile, Berman told reporters that intense efforts are underway to convince Air Canada or West Jet to make a business decision to serve the Guyana-Canada route and take advantage of the large Guyanese diaspora and increased business travel.
“There are more Canadian businessmen coming to and Guyanese going back and forward, we look at tourism increasing and if you just look at the existing flights that are available at the moment, they are over-subscribed so I think there has been a case that we have been able to make to the Canadian carriers that there is room for another carrier to become available,” he told reporters.
Last month, the United Kingdom lifted decades-long visa restrictions for Guyanese, allowing them to stay there up to six months. British Airways in November began serving the Guyana-UK route.
