GUYANA RECORDS 360,000+ VISITORS — BUT WHAT ARE THEY COMING FOR?

Staff Writer

Guyana recorded 360,623 visitor arrivals during the first nine months of 2026, continuing an upward trend in arrivals as the government expands its tourism infrastructure and international connectivity.

But behind the headline number is an important question for Guyana’s developing tourism industry. Who are these visitors, what are they coming to Guyana for, how long are they staying, and how much are they contributing to the wider economy?

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues disclosed the latest arrival figures on Wednesday during the opening of the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026 at the Atlantic Suites by Hyatt in Kingston, Georgetown.

According to figures provided by the Department of Public Information (DPI), Guyana welcomed 453,489 visitors in 2025, a 22 percent increase over 2024. With 360,623 arrivals already recorded between January and September this year, the country is continuing to attract significant numbers of international travellers.

Rodrigues said tourism is becoming increasingly important to Guyana’s economic transformation, with investments being made to accommodate further growth.

Since 2020, according to the minister, 12 new airlines have entered the market, strengthening Guyana’s connections with North America, Europe, the Caribbean and South America. Nine internationally branded hotels have also entered the local market.

Guyana is also positioning itself as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, commonly known as the MICE tourism market. More than 18 conferences and major business events have reportedly been hosted in the country during 2026.

Those developments provide some indication of the different categories of travellers entering Guyana. However, the headline arrival figure alone does not indicate how many of the 360,623 visitors came primarily for traditional vacations, business and conferences, visiting friends and relatives, diaspora travel, ecotourism, cultural events, or other purposes.

The DPI report also does not provide a breakdown of visitors by purpose of travel, average length of stay, country of residence, repeat versus first-time visitors, hotel occupancy attributable to international visitors, or average visitor spending.

Those figures matter because the economic value of tourism cannot be measured by arrival numbers alone.

A visitor attending a business conference for several days, a Guyanese living overseas returning to visit relatives, and an international tourist purchasing a multi-day interior eco-tourism package may all be counted among visitor arrivals, but their spending patterns and economic impact can differ considerably.

That raises a broader question as Guyana celebrates rising arrival numbers. How much of that growth is translating into tourism dollars that reach ordinary Guyanese?

Rodrigues said the government’s tourism strategy is intended to create opportunities beyond hotels and tour operators, including farmers, fishermen, drivers, tour guides, artisans, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.

That objective makes more detailed tourism data increasingly important. Understanding why people are travelling to Guyana, where they are staying and where they are spending would provide a clearer picture of which communities and businesses are actually benefiting from the country’s growing visitor numbers.

Guyana’s expanding airline connections, new hotels, international conferences and growing global profile provide important building blocks for the sector. The next measurement of success, however, should go beyond simply counting arrivals.

With 360,623 visitors in nine months, the number is significant. The deeper economic question now is: What are these visitors doing in Guyana, and how much of their spending is reaching the Guyanese economy?

Source: Department of Public Information (DPI)