INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES MUST LEAD TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, SAYS MINISTER BROWNE-SHADEEK

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA | October 8, 2026 — Minister of Amerindian Affairs Sarah Browne-Shadeek has called for Indigenous communities to have a defining role in shaping Guyana’s tourism industry, emphasizing that development must respect their cultural identity, traditional knowledge and right to determine their own economic priorities.

Speaking Thursday at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Georgetown, Browne-Shadeek said Indigenous peoples should not simply participate in tourism projects but should be recognized as decision-makers and partners in their development.

“Indigenous communities must not be treated merely as participants in tourism, but we must recognise them as leaders, decision makers, knowledge holders, and partners in shaping the future of our own destinations,” the minister stated.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Browne-Shadeek outlined Guyana’s approach to Indigenous tourism as one centered on community leadership, environmental protection, cultural preservation and meaningful economic opportunities.

She highlighted government investment in Indigenous development, noting that national budget allocations totaled G$7.2 billion and G$7.5 billion respectively over the past two years, while communities have collectively received G$16.9 billion through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) carbon credit programme.

The funding, she said, supports priorities identified by villages themselves, including ecotourism, agriculture, infrastructure, land titling, women’s and youth initiatives and other community-based enterprises.

However, Browne-Shadeek emphasized that sustainable tourism development should not impose a uniform economic model on Indigenous villages, which have different cultural traditions, resources and aspirations.

“Regenerative development should not impose any economic model on every village. It should create room for different communities to pursue different futures,” she said.

The minister argued that communities must retain control over how their cultures are presented to visitors, including deciding which traditions and knowledge they wish to share and which should remain protected.

She pointed to community-based tourism initiatives in Surama, Rewa and Yupukari as examples of how Indigenous communities can combine tourism with environmental conservation, traditional knowledge and local economic participation.

Browne-Shadeek also stressed that conservation and climate resilience should be incorporated into tourism planning from the beginning rather than addressed only after development projects are underway.

Young people, she said, must also be central to the industry’s future, with meaningful opportunities created to allow them to build careers and businesses within their own communities instead of feeling compelled to leave their villages to pursue economic advancement.

Her remarks come as Guyana seeks to expand its tourism industry, particularly in the country’s interior regions, where Indigenous communities play an important role in protecting biodiversity and maintaining traditional cultural practices.

The minister’s position also raises a broader question about how tourism investment will be structured as the sector expands: whether Indigenous communities will retain meaningful decision-making authority and receive direct economic benefits from tourism activities developed around their lands, cultures and natural environments.

Browne-Shadeek maintained that Guyana’s experience offers lessons for the wider Caribbean as regional governments pursue tourism models that are more inclusive, environmentally responsible and community-driven.

SOTIC 2026 is being hosted in Guyana under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive,” bringing together regional tourism leaders, government representatives and industry stakeholders to examine the future of Caribbean tourism.