GUYANA, being in the tropical region, is home to many uniquely beautiful and natural attractions that are incomparable to its Caribbean neighbours and other countries worldwide. The key attractions include the virgin rainforests, mountains, huge rivers, and waterfalls. Guyana is known for having the world’s largest single-drop waterfall, Kaieteur Falls, which stands 741 feet tall, and is recorded to be five times taller than the Niagara Falls. Guyana is also well known for its wildlife culture, which has been featured on the National Geographic, and was named the ‘Best of the World 2014’. According to National Geographic, Guyana may be “the best kept secret in South America”. Guyana has also gained recognition from several popular celebrity profiles around the world, among them the famed British restaurateur, Chef Gordon Ramsey, and British royalty, Prince Harry.

With the recent discovery of oil in 2015, there is no doubt that Guyana will eventually open its doors to many more tourists who will be interested in knowing more about this little country that seeks to become the new “Dubai City” of the region. With the Manifesto presented by the current Government outlining the plans for the country, Guyana is poised to be completely transformed within the next five to ten years. Therefore, there will be need for more accommodation and accessibility for Guyana’s tourists.

The Government has recently put out expressions of interest and requests for proposals for investors to build hotels in Guyana. The Government aims at providing at least 2000 first-class rooms, making Guyana “a conventional destination”. The Government has also outlined in its Emergency Budget, special incentive packages to attract new hotel investors. These packages may include tax breaks, favourable land leases, or assistance with financing the project.

Guyana has many luxurious hotels situated mainly in the heart of Georgetown, which are near the key landmarks and areas of interest. However, there are not many of these high-standard hotels available around the rural areas off the busy city. It was noted that the Government has received proposals from investors who are interested in setting up hotels neighbouring the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which is a key point. Several airlines have expressed an interest in Guyana’s Aviation Industry, among them West Jet, a Canada-based carrier; Inter-Caribbean Airlines, which is based in the Turks and Caicos Islands; and Fly All Ways, a Suriname-based carrier.

It should be noted that the hotel industry relies heavily on the airline industry to meet its demands. There may be other market drives for the hotel industry, but most of its customers travel by air. Therefore, there is a direct link between these two industries that contribute to the tourism sector.
The impact of Travel & Tourism on the economic and social development of a country is enormous. This includes openings for businesses, trade and capital investment, job creation and entrepreneurialism for the workforce, and protecting heritage and cultural values.

Based on an analysis carried out by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in 2015, the direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was GYD21.2bn (3.2 per cent of total GDP) in 2014, and is expected to rise by 3.0 per cent p.a., from 2015 to GYD27.6bn (4.2 per cent of total GDP) in 2025.
However, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was GYD52.9bn (8.0 per cent of GDP) in 2014, and is forecasted to rise by 3.2 per cent p.a. to GYD69.8bn (10.6 per cent of GDP) in 2025.

In 2014, the Travel & Tourism sector directly supported 8,500 jobs (3.4 per cent of total employment) in Guyana, and is estimated to rise by 8.0 per cent p.a. to 15,300 jobs (6.1 per cent of total employment) in 2025.

In 2014, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment, including jobs, indirectly was 8.4 per cent of total employment (21,000 jobs). This is expected to rise by 1.9 per cent p.a. to 25,000 jobs in 2025 (10.0 per cent of total employment).

Visitor exports generated GYD16.8bn (6.3 per cent of total exports) in 2014. This is forecast to grow by 8.0 per cent p.a., from 2015-2025, to GYD30.24bn in 2025 (11.3 per cent of total).
Travel & Tourism investment in 2014 was GYD4.0bn, or 2.4 per cent of total investment. It should rise by 6 per cent p.a. over the next ten years to GYD6.4bn in 2025 (3.8 per cent of total).

In conclusion, it can be noted that, based on the analysis carried out, and projections made, airliners and hoteliers contribute a great lot to the tourism sector, which, in turn, contributes to the country’s GDP, thus improving its economic levels. With the new investors on board, Guyana will be able to lower the unemployment rates by jobs created to build and operate the hotels, and along with operating the airlines.