http://www.caribbeanpressreleases.com/articles/3405/1/Guyana-Tourism-Authority-Continues-Efforts-to-Promote-Country/Fam-trips-for-operators-and-journalists-on-the-cards.html
The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) plans on ensuring that Guyana gains recognition as an emerging ecotourism destination on the world market and in pursuit of this goal, the Authority is embarking on a number of promotional activities.
GTA’s Director, Indranauth Haralsingh noted that the authority is implementing marketing activities that would help to brand and position Guyana. This, he said, is needed especially since Caribbean tourism is popular. He noted it is more important for Guyana to differentiate itself from the famous sun, sand and sea brand.
The Director noted that in an effort to maximise the resources of the authority, it has collaborated with the Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to conduct familiarization trips with overseas tour operators and journalists so that they can sample Guyana’s tourism product.
He said that the fam trips allow the tour operators to decide whether the products they see and experience are what their customers are looking for on their vacations. “They give us valuable input as to areas needed for improvement such as if our tour guides need more training, the upgrading of our facilities and if we need to look at safety,” he said.
There were four fam trips to Guyana recently and these have proven to be very successful. From these fam trips over 30 countries have been actively selling Guyana as an emerging birding destination.
Also as a result, the participants of the fam trips have featured Guyana in a series of popular print and electronic magazines, catalogues, and brochures. “Having these international companies selling Guyana is very good because we are expanding our sales and distribution network,” the Director said.
GTA is also working with the media in the Guyanese diaspora in the United Kingdom, North America and the Caribbean to participate in fam trips as this will enable them to see experience Guyana’s tourism and report on it in various countries.
“There have been a lot of negative news coming out from Guyana and we are hoping that this will counteract it by putting out some positive news and reinforce the Guyana brand and encourage people to travel to Guyana as well as update Guyanese abroad on the changes in their country,” Haralsingh said.
At present the German market is of interest to GTA and a German tour operator, who will be in Guyana for a few months is also eyeing the ecotourism potential as he hopes to sell destination Guyana to his country.
Trade shows have also been successful in highlighting Guyana’s ecotourism. The GTA has been attending the largest trade shows in Europe, North America and the Caribbean.
Recently Guyana attended the world’ largest trade show, the International Travel Bourst (ITB) held in Berlin, Germany. Guyana plans to attend trade shows in London, Utah, and Ruthland, England this year. It also plans to be represented at the Annual Caribbean Tourism summit.
GTA recently re-launched its website with a new, dynamic look. This website it is hoped will make Guyana, through internet marketing, more accessible to the world. Some of the features of the site include translation for 24 languages, credit card processing capability, booking facilities for travellers, ‘flipping effect’ to showcase brochures, audio effect, video streaming, search engine for places and events in Guyana and e-card options.
Links on the website will provide information on location for lodging and dining, special activities and places of interest inclusive of sport events and facilities.
GTA is in the process of creating a special DVD series featuring destination Guyana. The GTA Director said that they are also looking to promote Guyana as a filming destination and as of recent it has been gaining attention as a number of documentaries have been done locally.
Two television features were recently done in Guyana; RICOCHET television from the UK filmed a series called ‘Unbreakable’ and Trek’s in the Wild World filmed a documentary for National Geographic.
Other marketing promotional aspects that have been undertaken by the GTA include currently creating brochures for Kaieteur National Park, Birding tourism, CARIFESTA X, and the giants of the Amazon.
The Director stated that he hopes these will “differentiate us from other destinations and will drive traffic towards Guyana.”
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