Suriname Hospitality and Tourism Association

Name

Suriname Hospitality and Tourism Association

Legal name

Suriname Hospitality and Tourism Association

Website

https://shata.sr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paramaribo

HQ country

Suriname

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SHATA generates revenue through annual membership fees from tourism and hospitality businesses. Fees are structured by category (accommodation, tour operators, restaurants, airlines, car rentals) and size/scale indicators (rooms, employees, seats, destination region).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SHATA is a private sector membership-based association that delivers tourism development, destination promotion, advocacy, market intelligence, and workforce development services to tourism and hospitality businesses in Suriname. It enrolls member companies (hotels, tour operators, restaurants, airlines, car rentals, affiliates) through tiered annual subscriptions and represents the sector to government and international partners. The association also operates a digital directory platform and hosts industry events to support its members.

Product overview

SHATA operates as a membership-based hospitality and tourism association rather than a software product company. Its core offerings include membership programs that provide representation, advocacy, networking opportunities, joint marketing initiatives, and workforce development training. The association also runs a digital directory platform showcasing member businesses including hotels, resorts, restaurants, tour operators, and airlines. Services are delivered through strategic partnerships with government bodies, educational institutions (SHTTC), and international organizations (IDB), with member fees structured by business type and size.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SHATA Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Suriname listed among safest Latin American destinations for U.S. tourists (Level 1 rating)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KKF (Chamber of Commerce Suriname)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025KKF joined with VSB and SHATA to support the national awareness campaign for keeping Suriname clean. The campaign is initiated by the Directorate of Public Green of the Ministry of Public Works and is supported by the business community.
• VSB (Vereniging Surinaams Bedrijfsleven)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025VSB joined with KKF and SHATA to support the national awareness campaign for keeping Suriname clean. The business association supports the government's environmental initiative.
• STIVASUR (Foundation for Responsible Alcohol Consumption Suriname)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2025SHATA and STIVASUR signed an MoU to collaborate in promoting responsible hospitality practices across Suriname's tourism and hospitality sector. Key areas include training of hospitality personnel through STIVASUR's E-Learning Responsible Alcohol Service (EVAS) program, awareness campaigns, joint promotion at national and international events, and strategic policy support. SHATA expressed interest in becoming an affiliate member of STIVASUR.
• IDB (Inter-American Development Bank)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2025IDB and SHATA signed an Intention of Understanding paving the way for further collaboration between the two organizations. This collaboration involves tackling homelessness in Suriname and managing the Waterkant area.
• Gaming Control Board (GCBS) of SurinameminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025SHATA and the Gaming Control Board formally executed an MoU to enhance collaborative efforts. Both organizations acknowledge the significance of joint initiatives in product development within the tourism sector and sharing critical data pertaining to the casino industry and its implications for tourism. The partnership aims to lay a robust foundation for informed policy-making and effective oversight.
• SHTTC (Suriname Hospitality and Tourism Training Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2025SHATA and SHTTC officially signed an MoU to close the gap between training needs and expertise provided by the institution. The two organizations collaborate to ensure high-quality education and safeguard exceptional services in Suriname's tourism and hospitality sector.
• IDB (Inter-American Development Bank)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025SHATA announced collaboration with IDB to elevate tourism development in Suriname. Following a meeting with IDB's Group Country Representative Adriana La Valley, both parties discussed promising strategies for partnership. An MoU outlining collaboration directions was planned to be signed. Collaboration focuses on tackling homelessness and managing the Waterkant area.
• IPH GlobalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIPH Global, an international hotel management company, is involved in the development of seven major hotel projects in Suriname including brands like Marriott, Holiday Inn, Wyndham, Hilton, and Holiday Inn Express. Egon von Foidl, SHATA Chairman, serves as Managing Partner of IPH Global. The collaboration is expected to bring over 2,000 hotel rooms by 2028.
• International Travel Bloggers and InfluencerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSHATA collaborates with international travel bloggers and influencers to position Suriname as a compelling destination. In February, three prominent travel bloggers including China's most influential travel journalist with 5+ million followers and two American influencers were hosted. Combined reach exceeds 20 million followers.
• Karin Refos (Communications Specialist)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSHATA brought on communications specialist Karin Refos to help rebrand Suriname as a modern and distinct travel destination. Fresh tagline and global marketing campaign are in development.
• Suriname Investment and Trade AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe agency, where SHATA Chairman Egon von Foidl serves as board member, facilitates foreign investors interested in the tourism sector in Suriname, providing guidance and support for hospitality developments.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Australian Hotels Association (AHA): National industry body representing hotels, resorts and hospitality across Australia's states with a strong policy and workforce-development remit. Mirrors SHATA's representation function at a much larger scale.
• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global private-sector travel-and-tourism body representing 200+ CEOs of major brands and national tourism bodies. Operates a parallel industry-membership and policy advocacy function to SHATA's, but at a global scale rather than national.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): Largest US hospitality trade association with broad scope beyond hotels into lodging, suppliers and policymakers. Much larger scale than SHATA but operates the same membership-funded advocacy / representation / workforce model.
• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): Multinational non-profit membership association for travel and tourism across Asia Pacific providing advocacy, marketing, research and education. Same five-pillar operating model as SHATA but serving a regional rather than national mandate.

Direct peers

• African Travel Association (ATA): Non-profit membership association promoting travel to and within Africa through education, marketing, and industry networking. Strong mission overlap with SHATA's destination-promotion, education and member-services pillars, especially around emerging-destination storytelling.
• Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC): National private-sector tourism trade association representing the full Canadian tourism value chain — hotels, airlines, tour operators, attractions. Directly mirrors SHATA's representation / advocacy / marketing / research pillars at a national level.
• UKHospitality: United Kingdom national trade association representing hotels, restaurants, pubs and leisure operators on policy, promotion and workforce development. Comparable trade-body advocacy and membership-tier model to SHATA.
• New Zealand Hotel & Hospitality Association (HANZ): National trade body for New Zealand hotels and hospitality delivering advocacy, training and promotional support to members across tiers. Closely comparable in size, mission and breadth of services to SHATA.
• Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA): Regional private-sector trade association representing Caribbean hotels, tour operators and allied tourism suppliers. Closest analog to SHATA in mission, governance structure, member scope (accommodations, restaurants, tour operators, airlines), and advocacy-plus-promotion operating model.

Regional players

• Hotels Association of India (HAI): National trade body for the Indian hotel industry providing advocacy, training and standards support — comparable in mission and structure to SHATA but operating in a different geography and at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SHATASuriname
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shata-come-to-suriname

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Suriname Hospitality and Tourism Association