DEPUTY DIRECTOR of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Carla Chandra, will be the first woman of Indigenous origin to be appointed Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), when she takes over from current Director, Brian Mullis, on May 1, 2020
Mullis’ two-year contract is scheduled to come to an end on April 15, and Chandra was unanimously identified as the superior and most suitable candidate at the end of a rigorous 4-stage selection process.

In a statement the GTA said that Chandra will bring to the job a breadth of managerial and industry experience. “The new Director will be the first woman of Indigenous origin to be appointed to lead the GTA in its 18-year history, a fact to be noted by social historians and certain to be celebrated by Indigenous peoples and women of all ethnicities throughout Guyana,” the Authority said.

Chandra has undergone an array of professional training both locally and overseas, the Authority said.
A graduate of President’s College, Chandra began her tourism career in 2001 in the then Ministry of Trade and Industry as a Research Assistant. She gradually moved through the ranks through the GTA. Her preceding positions included Senior Statistics and Research Officer, Logistics Manager, Personal Assistant to the Director of the Authority, and Marketing Manager, before she advanced to becoming Deputy Director.

The Board of the Guyana Tourism Authority is confident that her leadership capabilities and strong support team will allow the GTA to overcome the current challenges and build upon the tremendous successes achieved during the past two years under the outgoing Director, Brian Mullis, the Authority said. “The new Director will be assuming leadership during what is easily the most severe and painful crisis facing the tourism industry – COVID-19. Her task will be to lead her team through the implementation of an industry-recovery strategy,” the statement said.