THE Tourism Development Fund launched in April 2015 was created to allow the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) to make a more impactful contribution to the actions and decisions which affect the tourism industry and THAG’s membership.During a recent press conference held at Cara Lodge, President of THAG Shaun McGrath explained: “The fund has been created to allow THAG to make a more impactful contribution to the actions and decisions which affect the private sector tourism industry and its membership.” Additionally, it will allow THAG to bring something more tangible to the table; to be in a position of greater independence; to have greater control of its members’ destiny. From the funds collected, 60% will be spent on marketing, 20% on product development and 20% on capacity- building and training.
The Committee Chairman is Dr. Yesu Persaud, Executive Chairman of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL); Chairman of Demerara Bank Limited and founder of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED). Committee members are Indranauth Haralsigh, Director, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA); Shaun McGrath, President, Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) and Mitra Ramkumar Treasurer, Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana.
Some of the participating entities currently contributing to the fund are Cara Lodge Hotel, Herdmanston Lodge, Roraima Duke Lodge, Roraima Residence Inn, Regency Suites Hotel and Windjammer Hotel.
The Tourism Development Fund (TDF) has been created to allow The Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) to make a more impactful contribution to the actions and decisions which affect the private sector tourism industry and our membership; to bring something more tangible to the “table”; to be in a position of greater independence; to have greater control of our destiny
“By collecting a small voluntary contribution from our visitors, THAG will be able to implement and finance projects specific to ensuring that Guyana is enjoyable for visitors and residents alike,” the organistaion noted.
According to THAG, hotel, lodges and resort guests will be asked to proudly be part of this exciting initiative and donate US$1 for each night of their stay in Guyana, which will go entirely towards our Tourism Development Fund. Letters will be provided to guests in their rooms, and/ or at the front desk, which would clearly state that this is a contribution and, if they would prefer, would be removed from their final bill.
Proceeds from the fund will be used on three areas that directly impact the industry. Marketing Guyana both regionally and internationally as required if “we are to compete on the international stage. While the fund will not come close to raising the amount of marketing dollars required to fund a comprehensive national marketing strategy, it will allow us to target specific marketing efforts that will benefit the members.”
One such initiative is the Booking Engine that allows real- time reservations and confirmations on ExploreGuyana.org. Other initiatives may include “Sales Blitzes” in neighbouring countries or targeted advertising in specialist publications.
“The development and preservation of our tourism product is critical to the future of the industry. The fund will contribute to the preservation and maintenance of sites that are part of our heritage and history. The fund will also allow THAG to make small grants for small/micro tourism businesses that could benefit from some capital injection.”
To strengthen Guyana’s presence in an ever more competitive international tourism marketplace, the fund will also support training initiatives for our young school-leavers, and re-training to achieve higher standards in the industry with the objective of reinforcing a culture in which tourism is the career of choice. There also will be strong focus on education and hands-on training initiatives for our young people, to give them a better chance of finding employment in our industry.
The TDF will be managed by a special committee comprising representatives from the public and private sectors, who will ensure that projects undertaken by the fund continue to have a strong marketing education, environmental and developmental impact.
THAG will use its existing resources to administer the projects identified for funding, so as to ensure that ALL contributions go directly towards the projects.