– to sell its tourism offerings
GUYANA’s tourism sector is currently at the stage where it has the capacity to take its product to another level, and attract even more visitors. This is according to Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali who made the pronouncement yesterday during a meeting with local stakeholders in the tourism sector and a team from Advantage Advertising Company out of Trinidad and Tobago.
The meeting was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), and saw scores of key industry stakeholders in attendance to listen as the Trinidadian company’s representatives gave an insight into the potential of the Trinidadian market and the opportunities that exist for investment.
According to Minister Ali, if Guyanese businesses are to be successful in taking the Guyanese product to another level and to tap into the lucrative market that the island has to offer, collaboration and integration are vital.

At yesterday’s meeting where Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali (at podium) met with stakeholders in the local tourism industry and ‘reps’ of the Trinidad-based Advantage Advertising Agency

He said, “As minister with the responsibility for the tourism sector, I am confident that we can take our product to another level. We need to pool our resources together if we want to get rich together, and the sector to grow. We have to start excluding ourselves from an integrated whole. That is the direction in which I see us going.”
Minister Ali reminded that the “movers” in the tourism sector must be the stakeholders, those who are affected on a daily basis by the ups and downs in the sector; and he noted, too, that while the Government must play the facilitating role in ensuring the sector moves forward, the private sector must play its dominant role to drive the interest.
Alluding to the role that Advantage Advertising will play in the process, Minister Ali said the company will have responsibility for educating the Trinidad market, marketing the country’s image, and promoting Guyana as an ideal tourism destination.
“We in Guyana have a very distinctive product that is set apart from the common white sand beaches of the Caribbean, thus appealing to many markets. But there is a lot of ignorance about Guyana on the Trinidad market. We have so far done a poor job of educating persons, which is why Advantage Advertising will help in this area, to help with the education(al) aspect of the Trinidad (people) and to let persons know what we have to offer,” Minister Ali explained.
In this regard, he impressed upon all the need to promote packaging of the tourism product, and the need for all to be involved in this process.
Ali said, “What is needed is packaging. There is a need to get the hotels integrated with the resorts, transportation services to market. We have to be open and give all equal opportunity and access to all stakeholders. We are not going to wait on any one business, but we will work with those here to develop packaging to market your product, and advance the industry.”
As market base is established, the need for regulations and standards becomes paramount, he added.

Successful engagements
During yesterday’s interactive meeting, Minister Ali seized the moment to report on successful engagements the Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) have facilitated over the past few weeks. These include the meeting with scores of yachters in Trinidad last week and the Caribbean Week in New York.
“It was a very successful trip, and I think that (it) will bear a lot of fruit. As you know, airlift and transportation continue to be a major issue, so we met with (the Trinidad) Minister of Transport, Devant Maharaj to discuss several issues. In addition, Caribbean Week in New York was also very successful,” Ali said.
He briefed the gathering on several successful initiatives undertaken over the last few months, and announced that, come June 27, a team will be heading to Boa Vista, Brazil, to examine the possibility of establishing a tourism circuit linking operators from the two countries, to offer more packages.

T&T tourism insights
The Executive Director of Advantage Advertising, Keith Nexar, and the Marketing Research Assistant, Mr. Hayden Aleong, delivered presentations on various aspects of the Trinidad Tourism market, from the demands of tourists to the limitations that exist in meeting those demands.
Several important areas were covered, including Understanding the Demographics, Vacation Planning Trends, Barriers to Market Penetration, and Infrastructural Development.
After the presentation, many of the participants grasped the opportunity to ask pertinent questions and to relate their concerns to the visiting team and Minister Ali.
Also speaking at the event was Director of the GTA, Indranauth Haralsingh, who acknowledged that representatives from Advantage Advertising were here as a strategic partner and as a vehicle to assist Guyanese to take advantage of the opportunities that exist to help boost occupancies and other services within the sector.
Chief Executive Officer of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Ramesh Ghir, and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Dookhoo, also addressed the gathering.
In closing, Minister Ali thanked those present for the interest shown, and pledged to work in partnership and collaboration with the private sector to ensure that Guyana becomes the destination of choice for visitors the world over. He also announced that, immediately following the meeting, a ‘Guyana Marketing Action Committee’ comprising industry stakeholders will be formed to facilitate the expansion and growth of the industry in the Caribbean and beyond.