PRESIDENT of the Guyana Tourism and Hospitality Association (THAG) Mr Kit Nascimento has announced that the association has circulated its Work Programme for 2014 – 2019. 

In the President’s Report issued by THAG to the media, Nascimento outlined “The most immediate projects on which we have advanced planning, hopefully, for implementation this year, are our Arts & Craft Show and an El Dorado Rum Pan and Swizzle Event, which we look forward to being sponsored by DDL.”
He highlighted that THAG launched an exciting and imaginative project, a Guyana Coconut Festival 2015, on August 5 at a meeting with agro- processors, tourism stakeholders and coconut industries and manufacturers and on August 7 with the diplomatic community and corporate interests. The response was positive and encouraging.
Nascimento pointed out that the festival is an initiative and is being driven by Mrs. Gemma Wenner, a tourism professional and wife of a senior official at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB),who has volunteered her support to THAG and, in addition, to taking the lead in the Festival, is giving two days of her time to work with the Secretariat.
“We have now begun giving serious attention to THAG actively supporting our members through the means of social media marketing and, with Gemma Wenner’s assistance, the Secretariat has begun revamping our website and, on July 31, has opened a THAG Facebook Page. A great deal more work, however, now needs to be done with this medium,” he said.
He outlined that the government, over the past year, has engaged some 4 Consultancies aimed at developing Guyana as a tourism destination. Two of these Consultancies, An Investment Guide for Guyana’s Tourism submitted by Cecil Miller (Consultant), which I have already mentioned, and, more recently and very importantly, the Guyana Tourism Brand and Marketing Strategy by the ACORN Group, about to be concluded, are extremely valuable to THAG.
He continued that the findings of the ACORN Group Study will be presented at a Workshop to be held tomorrow (Thursday August 4) at the Regency Suites Hotel before the final report to the government, noting that THAG has fully participated in all of the meetings and has been a major contributor to the findings.
“We look forward now to the government financing and implementing the recommendations of this Study and we need to ensure that our own marketing tools, our website and Facebook page are consistent with the strategy.”
Nascimento also took the opportunity to announce that the Ministry of Tourism and Hurakabra River Resort will be jointly holding a Grand Beach Party at Hurakabra on Sunday 14th September as one of the events for the Rally. River transportation will be provided and I encourage you all to participate and purchase tickets.
Hinting at Guyana hosting the International Yacht Rally, Nascimento said THAG and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) have encouraged the massive yachting community in Trinidad to participate in the event.