– THAG President
A TEAM from ‘One Caribbean Weather’ and ‘WSEE TV’ is on a tour across Guyana, paying particular attention to the top tourist destinations.
President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mr. Paul Stephenson, said the primary benefit of the visit is destination recognition.
Acknowledging that bringing the group is a good decision, he said what has been lacking, in terms of marketing, is destination recognition.
“When you say Guyana, not many people know of it. So, the fact that it will be recognised is what we want,” Stephenson said.
He said the fact that this country will be put permanently on the map, along with all the other Caribbean countries, is vital.
“People will now be able to put a place to the name. With this coverage, we have exposure seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 12 months a year,” Stephenson observed.
He explained that, with regular advertising, the effort is a one-off shot, whereas the team offers static showcasing.
“For the first time ever, we have consistent destination marketing. We have never had this opportunity before,” Stephenson disclosed.
He pointed out that the team’s itinerary is a packed one that includes visits in and around Georgetown, to look at historical sites, hotels and restaurants; Essequibo, to see the popular tourist resorts, too; Kaieteur, Iwokrama and Lethem, where they will go to the recently opened Takutu River Bridge, among other places.
“The locations were chosen based on what would represent Guyana best. We covered everything, all the major attractions we have,” Stephenson maintained.
He said, having spent only a few days with the team, the response from them has, so far, been positive.
“I think, by the end of the trip, they will be ecstatic,” Stephenson posited.
He said the venture was made possible through the support of THAG, Ministry of Tourism, the Private Sector, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and other stakeholders in the business.
Stephenson said, with such support, there is sufficient commitment from different agencies to cover the first year of advertising with WSEE TV.
“This will build a life of its own and people will be willing to advertise. I am confident that we’ll extend this to two or even three years,” he said.

Programmes

According to him, apart from the regular advertisements, the visiting team is also involved in the production of two 30 minutes programmes.
The Guyana Chronicle caught up with them on Monday, at Hurakabra River Resort, in Essequibo, the owner of WSEE TV, Mr. Brian Lilly, said this is an opportunity to tell Guyana’s story through different eyes.
“I really did not know what to expect when we signed on to this but the reception we’ve had, so far, has been great,” he reported.
Lilly said it is their first foray into South America but he offered that what makes countries are the people.
He lauded the move, by President Bharrat Jagdeo, to place Guyana on the international scene with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
“Instead of demolishing the rainforest, it is being used as an asset, a global asset and this is a good thing. A big move we did not even know about and now we can tell this story through our eyes,” Lilly said, hinting that a return here is a must.
Chief Forecaster of ‘One Caribbean Weather’, well-known Mr. Joey Stevens said the people are the best thing about Guyana.
“When I get back, I will be talking about this trip, sharing with people the rainforest, the jungle and the rivers as a whole different experience. Most of the Caribbean islands are sandy beaches and palm trees and mega resorts. The thing that makes a place different is the people,” he agreed.
Stevens said Guyana is fortunate to have positive things that can be shared and made popular.
“The other tourists places don’t know what you have and you don’t know what they have. Hopefully, when we start with these pieces, your own folks will see Guyana and take pride in it,” he said.