THE Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), on Thursday last, relaunched the Tourism Development Fund (TDF), a voluntary, industry-led initiative that allows visitors to make a small, optional contribution during their stay or experience in Guyana.
The fund was first launched in 2015 as a mechanism to support sector-wide development.
Between 2015 and 2020, the fund supported initiatives, including Bird Trail Signage at the Botanical Gardens, server training, early digital initiatives, and COVID-19 relief for members, demonstrating the tangible impact of collective industry and contributions.
With the fund resuming operations, THAG has noted that potential areas may include training and capacity building, tourism site management and asset protection, customer service initiatives, and sector-wide product development.
It should be noted that the TDF is not a tax and is not mandatory. Visitors who choose not to contribute still receive the same level of service.
According to THAG, all funds collected from visitors are pooled and reinvested into initiatives that support product development, marketing and capacity building, which helps to strengthen and grow the nation’s tourism sector in a transparent, and collective manner.
During the relaunch event, THAG announced the first group of members to have signage on the fund. These included the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, Air Dash, Trail Masters Adventures, Wilderness Explorers, Herdmanston Lodge, Cara Lodge and Arrow Point Nature Resort.
It was said that upon restart, THAG will be assessing the following potential priority areas: Health and safety training- which supports safer and more professional service environments across the tourism and hospitality sector; development of a Customer Service E-Manual – a sector wide digital manual outlining service standards, best practices, and visitor experience guidelines; customer service training, along with support for Guyanese chefs and providing support to the Tourism Site Management Initiative.
The TDF is guided by a Special Committee made up of a Committee Chairman – Harryram Parmesar, the Managing Director of Parmesar Accountants; Kamrul Baksh- Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority; Nirvana Persaud-Ramdyal- Chief Executive Officer of Guyana National Trust, Mitra Ramkumar- President of THAG, and Lorenzo Persaud- Treasurer of THAG.
For more information, persons can visit: https://thag.co/tdf
