THAG working on plan to boost domestic tourism

President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mitra Ramkumar, says the sector is developing plans to introduce local rates to encourage domestic tourism.

Speaking in an interview with Ignite Insights, Ramkumar said local tourism is a key part of growing the industry, ensuring a steady market flow and promoting economies of scale.

He noted that high travel costs, driven by inadequate infrastructure, continue to restrict the movement of local tourists and reduce traffic to tourist facilities. However, he said efforts are underway to address this issue.

“In order to upkeep this facility to the level that we want it demands us Guyanese to start visiting these sites to actually have a flow to these places, then the cost will start coming down… We would have seen that in different areas,” the THAG president said.

“We know that it’s a challenge, we know when you compare it globally it is expensive, but we are working toward getting those costs down and I believe with the infrastructure coming in place those costs will definitely come down. We are also looking at having local rates for Guyanese so they can come out and experience what the country has to offer.”

Ramkumar also pointed to other challenges in the sector, including improving standards, staff turnover, and training. He said with numerous opportunities in other industries such as construction and oil and gas, retaining workers in the tourism sector has become increasingly difficult.

Despite these hurdles, Ramkumar expressed optimism about the sector’s future.

“And so I want to appeal to the general public to experience more of what Guyana is all about, visit the different regions. Go out into the Essequibo.”

He said the industry is not only for foreign visitors, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic saw a surge in domestic tourism as more Guyanese travelled locally.