The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) is moving to introduce a range of special packages aimed at encouraging more domestic travel, in a bid to strengthen the sector.
THAG President, Mitra Ramkumar, told Ignite News on Monday that the Association is exploring initiatives such as cultural tours, guided city tours, and capped rates on accommodation and travel. These measures, he explained, are designed to tackle high costs, which remain one of the biggest barriers to local tourism.
“I know that high cost is a huge barrier. Transportation and infrastructure is what carries up that cost as well as the numbers, the amount of persons you have traveling,” Ramkumar said. He also noted that an increase in domestic travel would allow operators to spread expenses across a wider revenue base, ultimately making travel more affordable.
Ramkumar stressed that both Guyanese residents and the diaspora need to be encouraged to explore more of the country, as the latter already makes up a significant share of the market.
He welcomed the recent introduction of capped rates by Aiden by Best Western Hotel, noting that THAG sees this as a model to replicate across the industry.
Planned packages include affordable guided city tours featuring visits to national monuments and historical sites, as well as cultural tours centered around major events such as Diwali, Emancipation Day, and visits to the country’s first Chinese settlement.
