“We
Are All Americans”
 This is the message that the people of Venezuela asked us to
bring back to North America
– we being an adventurous group
of North American tour operators, media and tourism professionals
who were interested in viewing Venezuela and her people
from a closer perspective. The Venezuelan message is simple
enough to understand
– despite our perceived differences
of color, language and politics, we are all human beings,
all desirous of better lives.
We were not alone in receiving this message.
Our group flew down as guests of the Bolívar State Government
and Tourism Department to attend the country's second Expoecoturismo
in October 2003.
It was an elegantly staged event
– featuring a conference
and tradeshow that were held in Ciudad Guayana, close to
the banks of the Orinoco river and overlooking the picturesque
Llovizna waterfalls. The event was followed by a number
of Familiarization (FAM) and Media tours throughout Venezuela.
 About
180 people registered for Expoecoturismo's conference, including
some 50 non-Venezuelan participants from 14 countries that
included Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, England and Ireland!
Having attended a plethora of domestic U.S. and international
tourism conferences over the past 14 years, I was duly impressed
by the professionalism of both the presentation and the
presenters. Leaders in world ecotourism such as Hector Ceballos-Lascurain,
Martha Honey, Ron Mader, Richard Murphy, Ronald Sanabria
and Simon McArthur were present, lending world-class clout
to this event and providing thoughtful debate and commentary.
 The
following tradeshow was just as successful, with approximately
4,000 participants viewing the tourism products of Venezuela's
fabulous destinations. Day trips to the Orinoco River, Angel
Falls and Ciudad Guayana capped the event to provide a teaser
of what Venezuela had to offer in terms of its natural,
cultural and historical resources.
 The
meat of the experience began afterward, when a group of
some 25 North American tour operators and media started
a six-day journey into the folds of Venezuela's outback.
The majority of us flew into Canaima National Park, over
Angel Falls in all her cascading glory, and landed in Kavak
village, where we began to make our first connections with
some of Venezuela's indigenous Pemon people. Over the next
few days, we would encounter challenging trails, exhilarating
waterfalls, and unforgettable scenic panoramas, all under
the expert care of our Pemon guides.
Even a rainy day spent on the river in wooden
curiaras couldn't dampen our spirits, once Angel Falls stood
in front of us. The majesty and power of the world's tallest
waterfall is difficult to describe, as even when you swim
in the pool at its bottom, you cannot quite grasp its full
scale, though you certainly feel its strength.
 But
in my mind, the most amazing part of this exhilarating journey
was not the waterfalls, not the tepuis, not the grand cities
– it was Venezuela's people. Everyone we met was gracious
and desirous of true communication, despite the language
differences. Unlike many Caribbean countries, where you
sometimes feel accosted as a tourist, the people of Venezuela
treated us as honored guests to their home.
It has been five years since
our 2003 trip to Venezuela, but I and the other North Americans
who visited are still talking about what a life-affirming
experience it truly was. After a second visit in 2005 to
Coral
Lagoon Lodge, Maracaibo and Merida in western Venezuela,
with some of these same people, I continue to place
Venezuela among my favorite destinations and look forward to
taking my own family on the next visit!
These "Views from
Venezuela" have presented just a slice of what this
beautiful country has to offer to eco-tourists. I heartily
recommend it as a destination, and urge you to contact
Angel-Eco Tours to
help you design the trip that's right for you.
Jeremy Garrett
NaTour Communications
(Originally written
January 2004; updated September 2008)
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