The Tourism Ministry has moved to secure tax concessions and other incentives for businesses focused on growing the tourism industry, Minister Irfaan Ali announced on Tuesday, while lauding the private sector for investing over $23 billion in the sector over the last four years.
At the launch of the 15th edition of the Explore Guyana magazine at Herdmanston Lodge, in Georgetown, Ali said more work is necessary and a bigger budget is needed to grow tourism in Guyana.
However, while praising the contributions of the private sector, he announced that the ministry has approached the Finance Ministry to ensure that in 2015 more incentives and tax exemptions are given to businesses that are focused on growing the sector.
Ali noted that the ministry will continue to work with the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA). He added that regional bodies, such as the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), need to treat Guyana as an equal competitor regionally. He noted that while locally THAG and the GTA can create an image of Guyana as a destination advertised by ventures such as the Explore Guyana brand, the CTO also had a responsibility to sell Guyana as a destination.
Ali also called for THAG to continue assessing the tourism climate of Guyana and to market the opportunities that present themselves and elicit the most interest from tourists. THAG President Shaun McGrath stated that the Explore Guyana brand was already beginning this process.
Within the next year, the magazine’s website will feature booking abilities for hotel stays and excursions trips for association members.
He said that to grow the association and to package tourism as a concept, initiatives that are comprehensive would be highlighted.
McGrath joked that ventures such as real time bookings were incentives for organisations not already attached to THAG to join the association. He stated that society collectively had to represent Guyana as a respectable destination, while noting that constant negativity being peddled in the local media did not create a welcoming environment.
He said too that moving forward, the Explore Guyana brand would continue to focus on real experiences from travellers in the form of personal essays. He highlighted the experiences of repeat travellers into Guyana’s interior, including Polly Rothestein. Rothstein, who became disabled due to an unsuccessful back surgery in 2001, began visiting Guyana biannually as an eco-tourist by herself since 2010. The new edition of the magazine also features a documentary film crew’s experience of jungle life.
McGrath thanked the Tourism Ministry for its continued financial support in ensuring that the magazine, which is free, is distributed to the various embassies at no cost to the association.
Publisher of Explore Guyana Lokesh Singh, of Advertising and Marketing Services, stated that the magazine continues to be the official tourism guide for Guyana across the Diaspora.
Meanwhile, this year at the launch THAG presented an Honorary Tourism Ambassador Award to Catherine Kello and Mark Butler from Washington DC for their interest and work in promoting Guyanese tourism abroad since they first visited in 2010 as avid bird enthusiasts.
In addition, the magazine, which underwent a rebranding in 2014, held an essay writing competition under the theme “Guyana, South America Undiscovered.” Six primary and secondary students were identified as winners of the competition.
