Gov’t setting the foundation for continuous tourism development

The government is making several notable strides to ensure that Guyana continues to prosper as one of the most bustling tourism destinations worldwide.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond assured that Guyana’s quickly evolving tourism sector continues to grow alongside the nation’s booming oil sector economy.

The minister shared this sentiment during a recent media briefing at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

She further noted that the non-oil sector’s growth will withstand the test of time and exist regardless of the economic state of the oil sector.

“The focus right now is to build out tourism as an alternative to oil and gas. The services sector has seen double-digit growth outside of oil and gas,” Minister Walrond told members of the media.

The Bank of Guyana’s half-year report revealed that Guyana’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth skyrocketed by 12.6%.

Acknowledging the impact the tourism sector had on this growth, Minister Walrond noted “there used to be a time in Guyana where there were low months. Low travel [rates] and people weren’t coming [to Guyana]. September and October used to be those months but now September and October are breaking records.”

These record-breaking achievements are credited to the government’s deliberate decision to host attractive events in nearly every month of the year.

Travellers and locals alike can enjoy the riveting experience of Cricket Carnival in September, followed by GuyExpo in November and completing the year by traversing the annual Christmas Village in December.

Further, events like the Lethem Rodeo, Building Expo, CARICOM conferences and Guyana’s vast number of multicultural celebrations like Diwali attract scores of visitors annually.

Minister Walrond spotlighted the success of this approach, stating, “we are already seeing the result and direct impact of that strategy to have every month where there is something happening.”

This year, the visitor arrival rates from January 2024 to October 2024 surpassed the previous year’s records by 15%.

These rates are expected to drastically increase as the government intends to welcome 2 million visitors by 2030.

The government believes this goal is achievable as scores of travellers from nearly every continent continue to visit Guyana to explore the country’s bountiful tourism experiences and immerse themselves in the beauty that is Guyana.

Through investments in the airline sector, hospitality sector and tourism experiences, the government is solidifying Guyana’s place as a tourism hotspot and an up-and-coming worldwide tourism powerhouse.