GTA working with Tourism Department to develop tourism policy

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), in its efforts to transform Guyana into a recognised tourist destination, has been collaborating with other organisations to develop principled guidelines which can be implemented shortly.
This was related by GTA Director Brian Mullis earlier this week, when he announced that the agency is working with the Department of Tourism to create policies. This, he said, has commenced by identifying popular locations in Guyana which are frequently visited by tourists. This includes where they are coming from, where they are visiting, and some of the attractions that they participate in, which will later be used to create the Living Destination Development and Management Action Plan.
“We are also actively supporting tourism strategy and policy development, and I

think that’s where we’re most closely working on a week-in/week-out basis with the Department of Tourism, and then helping to lead the implementation of those policies related to tourism and strategies. Right now, we are working on a national strategic action plan for Destination Guyana with the Department of Tourism. We are in the process of laying the groundwork for what we’re characterising as a Living Destination Development and Management Action Plan,” Mullis said.
While indicating that the capacity of the industry should be lifted to reach international standards, the GTA Director indicated that the GTA would be engaging stakeholders for a revised licensing and regulatory process.
“We are responsible for raising the capacity of the industry, and we’re going to be doing so through a revised licensing and regulatory process that we’re in the process of reimagining and that we’ll be bringing out for stakeholder input here within the next several weeks, and we hope to finalise that by the end of September,” he informed.
This will be linked to product development, which he believes plays a vital role in marketing and other advancements. Mullis believes that Guyana would be able to capitalise on its tourism sector if the quality of its local products is developed and marketed correctly.
“It’s going to be linked into marketing benefits and our training programmes that were increasingly strengthened, based on a needs assessment that we just undertook to best understand the needs of the sector as it relates to training and certainly supporting the facilitation of product development,” the GTA Director said.
“Marketing and product development have to (work) hand in hand. Product development is a form of marketing, particularly when you’re developing unique, distinctive, cultural, adventurous and nature-based experiences,” he added.