We need each other to move the tourism product forward

Oct 15, 2008 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I normally would not respond to commentaries, because it would seem a useless exercise, but I am compelled to respond to an article in Kaieteur News on Sunday October 12, because it seems so far removed from the truth, and it would seem not a lot of effort was made to contact others in the industry to get a more balanced view.
I would like to comment on a couple of areas, please forgive the length, but feel it important.
I happen to be a small operator. I now run a 17-room resort with approximately 15 staff; we started with five rooms and I run a tour operation with four staff. I am assuming that qualifies me as a small operator.  Certainly internationally, I am considered a small operator.
I am one that does not feel cheated by THAG.  In order to benefit from being a member of THAG you have to get involved; what you put in is what you get out; you learn from others who have more experience than you, and you network with others in the industry.
This is an institution that votes in its own membership to take the mantle of leadership for the period of one year at a time.  If the small operators felt cheated in any way, they have the ability to change the leadership.
Whilst I don’t profess to know everything about the industry, I ensure that I have put myself into a learning curve.  I have a created strategy for our business and have set goals.  I may not fully understand the way that the international market operates or how to best target the Diaspora, but I know that THAG has provided me with opportunities to make business contacts; through THAG I have been able to network with local like-minded individuals like myself and also with regional and international organisations.
Through participation at trade fairs, which both THAG and the Government fund, I am able to develop more contacts that have brought business to me. I have listened to consultants that THAG has provided through various aid projects, that have critiqued our product and I made changes to my product to cater for the market that I am after.  Over 90% of the industry is made up of small operators, with limited funds and low occupancies.
Let’s not fool ourselves. THAG has over and over again provided opportunities for us to help develop our business.  I think a number of people in this industry expect THAG to provide business for them and see that as a failing of THAG and not of themselves.  It has been my experience as an executive of THAG that some expect that if I throw out a brochure here and there and THAG distributes that at a trade fair, for example, if they do not see business out of that, they see it as a failure. I don’t accept that and maybe they need to understand clearly the role of the association.
THAG as well as the Government agency is a conduit, a catalyst, a facilitator that will allow access to the market in a much less costly way than if you had to do it all by yourself. The rest is up to you to make it happen.
Of course the government and the association could do more to help. In other countries, the Government body is also not as effective as it could be, but we as a private sector have a voice and, instead of walking away, we need to make ourselves heard.
In relation to Explore Guyana Magazine, as a person that has been involved in THAG as well as the GTA and in some years the production of the magazine,  THAG has never been against the GTA producing their own set of marketing materials. In fact we welcome the support, and it is only beneficial to the industry.
For years, there are some that have pushed the agenda at the GTA board level, of an independent magazine, which mirrors what THAG has been doing for over 12 years.  The board of the GTA (not THAG) has always said no. A decision was made by the board that we would not want to see a competing product; rather, we want to see complimentary materials.  I no longer sit on the board, so I can’t further comment on the current board’s position.
THAG produces 25,000 magazines, the issue for 2009 will now be 30,000 magazines. In the early days we produced approximately 10,000 copies.  This magazine is and has always been fully funded by advertising, and in the past years the Government has always supported the magazine with the provision of an Advertisement, like every other advertiser, except for the 2009 issue which is about to be launched.
The GTA had in the past purchased an additional set of magazines outside of THAG’s initiative; I think for two years they purchased an additional 20,000 copies each time.
They did not purchase for the 2008 edition nor are they  supporting the 2009 edition.
They dealt directly with the producer of the magazine with THAG’s knowledge and paid, as I understand, a cost for those extra sets.  It is certainly cheaper than they can produce a new magazine.  THAG has not received any financial benefit from the extra copies.  The mutual benefit is a wider distribution which we are supportive of and grateful for.
THAG and its members have been saying all along that “we have that covered”; it represents the industry, and I don’t think the Government or the Private Sector could complain about the general representation of the industry, whilst still keeping in mind, what the actual use of the magazine is for.
What I think THAG wants to see is that the Government would produce materials that complement the industry, and the products that are being sold and that we are not competing for the same advertising dollar for a similar product.  If they also want to earn money the same way (which has been suggested in the past) there are many other ways to achieve this.  We have given many suggestions over the years that have fallen on deaf ears.  Unfortunately, the board of the GTA has been made ineffective and decisions are being made that bypass the board level.
THAG cannot apologise for earning revenue on the commissions of advertisers, because as a volunteer organisation with two full time staff, THAG needs funds to support its operation.  THAG has not raised its fees to its membership in the 12 years I have been a part of it, knowing the difficulties it faces, so it must find ways of funding itself.  When operators are asked to pay for their brochures to be hand out at WTM for example, it is because they are charged overweight on each flight they have to go on, and with limited resources, but did they have to pay for anything to go to the Suriname Fair.. NO THEY DID NOT.
The government has not always provided a means for sending free materials to the shows, but did so more recently to the larger shows we attend. I hope they will continue to embrace all tourism organisations fairly.
In my view, I don’t see a problem with new associations. There are a number of them already: North Rupununi Tourism Association, there is one in Berbice as well as one in Bartica.  I believe they all suffer with the same ills.  Few people wish to volunteer their services for the betterment of the industry and few wish to pay the right value for participation.
In other countries, Government gives the Private Sector subventions to help bolster their efforts; THAG never has received such benefits. This is a problem that plagues all organisations, and not just in Guyana.
There are some people in the industry that are working together to share the burden of advertising and promotion, and there needs to be a whole lot more of that happening.
I am not looking for the government to help me run my business; I would like them to help to provide a better environment for me to do business.  Improved road access, improved air access, put minimum standards in place through the regulations, promote Guyana overseas on a broader level.  Don’t show biases, when you have local initiatives, let us all have the opportunities to participate.
I see the Government’s role as policy makers; national tourism marketing; product development (eg working with US aid evolving birding, evolving the big generic products like Kaieteur or Fort Island etc. products that anyone in the industry can tap into);  product standards (licensing) research; information and statistics; and providing an enabling environment.
I see THAGS role as fostering professionalism and quality service in the industry through training, etc; promoting business for its members through marketing activities (be a conduit); representing member’s interests; establish minimum standards in the industry; ensure best practices; and collaborate with Government to influence changes in policies.
If you read the Hennigan report, a IADP report, which identified tourism development initiatives for Guyana,  it defines our market this way: “The size of this market is relatively small and highlights the fact that Guyana must expand the range of its product portfolio in order to tap into the larger segments’ small-scale low-impact rural tourism.  This report very clearly outlines a way forward for the industry and I believe has been largely ignored.
I think what hurts us over the long term is that the public and private sectors have not agreed to what is the best course of action and we need to get together in a more meaningful way. We still need each other to move the product forward.

Nicole Correia
Evergreen Adventures Inc
Small Operator

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