THE decision by the British Government to waive the visa requirement for Guyanese travelling to the United Kingdom (UK) for a period of no more than six months, has opened a gateway to immense opportunities for locals who are looking for new places to explore and business ventures to capitalise on.

Already having visa-free access to approximately 86 nations worldwide, Guyanese, as of November 9, will have much more to boast about, with open access to the UK for business and leisure whenever they please, without the burden of additional costs and the anxiety of awaiting an approval or rejection of a visa application.

The whirlwind of opportunities that are now available to locals are a direct result of the strategic plans and interventions of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government over the past two years.
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, had met with key officials including Prince Charles, now King Charles III, and former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, among others, while in the UK earlier this year.

One would assume that the President’s task extended beyond marketing Guyana as a growing hub for investment and opportunities, to one that entailed repairing the country’s image that was damaged by the actions of the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration during the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

There is no doubt that the Head of State was successful in his efforts, as British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, said: “This visa lift is a real sign of the confidence that the UK has in the growth of our relationship and together with the direct flight that will be happening at the end of March; we believe this change is going to be transformative for our really strong relationship.”

British Airways, the official flag carrier of the United Kingdom, is scheduled to commence scheduled flights to Guyana in March 2023.
Being perfect complements, the visa-free travel and direct flights would undoubtedly enhance economic relations between the two countries and create direct opportunities for increased trade, tourism and other lucrative ventures that would stimulate further growth in the already booming local economy.

“The idea of this visa waiver for visitors is not only about strengthening the relationship but I’m building out expansion of our economic opportunities between Guyana and the UK… but it is important also too for people-to-people contact as we try to build our tourism market and expand or tourism market, especially in the UK. Guyana has a very strong ecotourism product.

“This visa waiver [also] allows greater connectivity, greater contact and greater people-to-people contact. It would not only do well for the expansion of trade and opening up a new opportunity but will do extremely well in bringing our people together, creating greater relationship, networking amongst our people. And I think these are critical elements in building a stronger relationship,” President Ali said.

As it is now, Guyana is already the UK’s largest trading partner in the Caribbean, with trade between the two nations amounting to over 516 million pounds in 2021, accounting for 21.6 per cent of all the European nation’s trade with the Caribbean.

This is expected to continue long into the future, as Guyana is constantly increasing oil production and making key investments to advance development in every sector within the economy.
Considering the potential that exists, there is even a possibility that the country could become the European Union’s (EU) largest trading partner in the Caribbean. And with there being visa-free travel to the UK, the EU could be motivated to offer the same concession to Guyanese, creating avenues for even greater opportunities.