$60M goes to foreign companies to sell Guyana tourism

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has said the marketing firms it hired in Germany and North America were selected through a public tendering process.

The firms were appointed in August and will be paid an estimated $60 million to market Guyana for one year.

“This appointment followed a competitive tendering process that began in 2017 where companies from the respective markets were invited to bid for the contract of representing Guyana,” the GTA stated in a press release.

The GTA said negotiated with both companies to secure additional outputs beyond those originally envisaged with a smaller budget.

Emerging Destinations in partnership with Green Team Global and Corner Sun were hired to market Guyana in North America at the cost of US$150,000. For the German market, Fast Forward Marketing was selected and was contracted at a cost of US$135,000.

Both companies are contracted for a period of one year and can be retained for future years pending key achievements and tangible outcomes within the contracted period, the GTA stated.

The Authority noted that the market representation firms will work in collaboration with the GTA and tourism stakeholders in raising the profile of Guyana in their markets.

Some of the deliverables from both companies include securing cooperative marketing opportunities, representation at trade shows, reaching key media outlets and influencers and working with international tour operators to sell Destination Guyana as a part of their tour packages, GTA stated.

Through a direct approach with the representation companies, local stakeholders will gain more insight into what it takes to successfully work with international tour operators. These include:

• Being licensed by the GTA
• Knowledge of the destination and ability to educate and inform prospective travellers
• Meeting the required standards of international insurance
• Being responsive to international operators and their clients within a maximum of 24 hours
• Ability to pay make direct payments between the domestic and international tour operator
• A good website with high quality images and clearly defined points of differentiation
• Ownership of movable assets such as boats and 4×4 vehicles is preferred
• Experience working with international clients is preferred

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Guyana through collaboration with sister agencies and the tourism private sector in order to maximise local socio-economic and conservation outcomes and improve the visitors’ experience.

The GTA is focused on Guyana becoming recognised locally and internationally as a premier destination for protecting its natural and cultural heritage, providing authentic experiences, and maximizing local economic benefits.