Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Tourism and hospitality industry poised for improvement through partnership
Rita Tyndall
With the aim of teaching individuals involved in the tourism sector the importance of packaging and product distribution, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday, last, held a workshop at the Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.
The workshop came as part of the activities to mark Tourism Awareness Month which is being observed under the theme, “Community-based tourism, promoting the unique character and heritage of our communities.”
The workshop, which was ably facilitated by renowned planner, Rita Tyndall, was organised with the purpose of encouraging tourism suppliers to improve travel packaging and distribution, and is among many events organised for tourism awareness month, according to GTA Director, Indranauth Haralsingh.
With 16 years of industry experience and training experience, Ms Tyndall is the Director of Events Planning and Hospitality in New Jersey and is an individual with an expansive portfolio. Her intent was to emphasise the importance of packaging, distribution and partnering in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Her support was seen as instrumental, according to Haralsingh, as part of the Ministry and GTA’s commitment to promote packaging in recognition of the need and vital importance of packaging and distribution to a tourism destination and for the tourism product.
It is for this very reason, too, he noted that “we facilitate our tourism stakeholders at key travel trade shows around the world. That is in order to put them in the market place, and to put them on the platform where they can network, negotiate and meet with travel agents, tour operators, and travel writers from around the world so it becomes easy to package and to distribute.”
Successful destinations, Haralsingh said, use packaging as the cornerstone of marketing strategies to promote and market their tourism experience. He emphasised that the packaging or the bundling of the core tourist experience, which includes multi-components such as transportation, accommodation, attractions, activities, meals and sightseeing, needs to be boosted or expanded in Guyana.
Tourists and visitors, he asserted, must be able to book a package to Guyana which includes international airfare, hotel, meals and tours among other factors.
As such, Wednesday’s interactive workshop would teach participants the essentials of packaging, give tips on how to become export ready, the benefits of blended pricing, how to build strategic alliances and to identify opportunities and methods of packaging, Haralsingh disclosed.
During the course of the workshop, he noted, the participants will practice developing a package and working through partner channels. And numerous opportunities he said abound for tourism packaging in Guyana. According to him, it is expected that these will be used for more local events such as the Rodeo, Regatta, Motor Racing, the Pakaraima Mountain Safari, Horse Racing, Pageants, Fashion Shows, Cricket, Festivals, Mashramani, Entertainment Concerts, Wildlife, Indigenous and Cultural Packages, along with other natural heritage and eco-attraction.
“When we go to the marketplace we need to promote packaging and we need to work and negotiate with the various channels of distribution to promote our unique tourism experiences and products. We must go to the marketplace with an irresistible offer and compelling reasons to visit…”
Packaging is however not without challenges, Haralsingh asserted. He revealed that issues of pricing, commission, marketing, agent training and use of technology for things such as credit card processing can be surmounted with collaboration and partnership.
In addition to overseas visitors package tours, efforts must also be made to provide similar services to Guyanese even as plans are streamlined for regional packaging within the Caribbean and with Guyana’s South American neighbours.
Packaging, Haralsingh said, brings numerous benefits to the tourism suppliers as well as the consumers. As such, he expressed confidence that the workshop would serve to provide new inputs and better access to acquire knowledge and shared experiences contributing to the establishment of tourism packages and the importance of partnering. According to him, distribution is critical to the success of any product, thus the need for sustained collaboration.
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