Local tour companies win Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards
Guyanese tour companies, Touring Guyana and Blackwater Adventures have secured Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2024.
According to Tripadvisor, the largest travel advisory website, winners are determined based on the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings posted on Tripadvisor over 12 months.
Travellers’ Choice, formerly Certificate of Excellence, recognises businesses that earn consistently great reviews. Award-winners are among the top 10 per cent of listings on Tripadvisor and consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) reached out to the winners, who expressed gratitude towards persons who left positive experience reviews of their brands.
Managing Director of Touring Guyana, Shivana Gulchand, noted the importance of customer service.
She said her company is continuously engaging in training activities and other internal upgrades to improve the service it provides.
“People are spending their money, they are taking time off to visit, whether they are locals or foreigners and you want them to have that truly unforgettable experience,” Gulchand said.
The company which has been in operation for the past three years, offers adventure tourism throughout Guyana with fun and engaging packages.
Gulchand said the company started as a hobby and from her desire to help people see the beauty of Guyana.
“I was tired of hearing persons bragging about Suriname and Trinidad and I said you know what, we have a lot to offer right here and I wanted to promote that and share that with the Guyanese people mainly and with the rest of the world, so that they can see our beauty as well,” she said.
She also commended the work of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), which has played a major role in helping her develop her tour company.
Meanwhile, Blackwater Adventures, a family-owned company that operates out of Canje Creek, is receiving the award for the second time.
Proprietor, Dillon Ross highlighted the company’s consistent pursuit of excellence in service through dedicated hard work, explaining that it has a diverse demographic of clientele and thrives on meeting its expectations.
“They want authenticity, they want real connections to things, especially to nature, and we provide that, each of my trips is different. You have to be able to provide commitment, when they pay, they have to know that their reservation is solid. I am proud to say that we have never cancelled on anyone,” Ross said.
He also thanked the GTA for the support of his company.
