THE official Tourism Product Development Playbook was launched on Tuesday by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), in collaboration with industry experts, stakeholders and community leaders, and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG).
According to a press release, THAG and the GTA were awarded a Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility (CCPF) grant to accelerate the development of the tourism circuit in the Essequibo Region in Guyana.

The project comprises two parts, one which focuses on creating a governance structure for the Regional Tourism Committees across the ten administrative regions in Guyana and one which forms the basis of the launch, a Tourism Product Development Playbook.

The comprehensive manual highlights the full processes and steps of product development, not just in the Essequibo Region but countrywide.
From phase one, identifying the tourism potential of the proposed product, to phase two, conducting a market readiness assessment, to phase three, building the actual tourism product and finally, phase four, launching the product.

It outlines guidelines that provide a structured approach to developing tourism products that appeal to visitors and respect the environment, culture, and heritage.
It also emphasises sustainable practices, community engagement, and experiential learning, positioning Guyana as a leader in responsible tourism.

During remarks by the Director of the GTA, Kamrul Baksh emphasised that the manual is part of a much bigger picture of the GTA and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry & Commerce.
“The GTA and the Ministry, in their quest to develop new products, recently launched the Guyana Tourism Product Development Grant programme, which saw a number of new product ideas being proposed. We have received in excess of 10 new interesting and diverse experiences across the regions, including mountain biking, kayaking and community tours,” Baksh said.

He noted that the playbook will go hand in hand and play a very complimentary role with the grant for the operators who wish to put together these experiences.
“They will be privy to a detailed guide and financial resources from the government to ensure their products are feasible. I think those are two very important aspects of making this all possible,” Baksh related.

He added: “We want to ensure that this booklet gets into the hands of passionate people, people who want to develop products. Additionally, in the coming weeks, we will launch the Community Tourism Guide and Entrepreneurial Programme, where we aim to create a community of guides, outfitters, and experiential providers who can take the booklet and develop these experiences within all of the regions. We want to fully unlock the potential of tourism in Guyana across all regions.”

Other special invitees who were present and delivered remarks were Omadelle George, the President of THAG; Lorena Salazar, Country Rep, Inter-American Development Bank; Mark Berman, Head of Mission, Canadian High Commission; Jane Miller, British High Commissioner.

Target Euro Representatives Santiago Soler and Brian Mullis were also present and guided attendees through a thorough presentation of the Playbook and the key areas of managing tourism development in the Essequibo Region.