–when premier hospitality institute opens in January 2026

AS works progress on Guyana’s first ever world-class Hospitality and Tourism Training Institute (HTTI) at Port Mourant, in Region Six, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has disclosed plans to boost its training capacity, targetting a large number of young professionals within the local services and hospitality industry.

“That facility is currently under construction; we are working on the curriculum. When that facility is completed, we will be able to train our people in the services and hospitality sector,” Subject Minister Oneidge Walrond shared at a recently held year-end press conference.

The facility, she said, is on track to be completed by January 2026.

Already, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has been able to train over 2,000 persons in 2024. In the meantime, the government is collaborating with several local and regional partners to ensure that the sector meets its human resources needs.
“GTA has been doing an amazing job at upskilling and building capacity in that area. When the hospitality school comes to be, we will be able to train in a mass, in larger numbers,” Minister Waldrond added.

Currently, Guyana has 3,300 hotel rooms; an additional 1,000 rooms are scheduled to become available in 2025, with a further 800 rooms to be added by 2026.

This expansion, the minister explained, is part of the government’s broader strategy to boost tourism, and support the country’s growing appeal as an international destination.

“The idea is to keep our hotel rooms filled. And so, every month you will find that there is an activity,” she said.

The new hotel rooms will help accommodate the influx of tourists drawn by Guyana’s expanding tourism offerings, including international conferences, sporting events, and entertainment shows.
Minister Walrond highlighted that the government’s focus is on providing a diverse tourism product, thereby ensuring that there is something for every type of traveller.

Ultimately, Guyana is preparing itself for the growth in its tourism industry, with the development of seven new international hotels, which are set to materialise by 2025.

Minister Walrond shared that 2024 has seen significant expansion in tourism infrastructure. A total of 26 bed-and-breakfast properties have been approved, and 15 new tourism experiences have been introduced, expanding the offerings beyond Georgetown and into communities across the country.

This growth is not only benefitting Georgetown, but also various regions of Guyana, where new tourism ventures are creating jobs, and driving economic development, Walrond explained, emphasising that local communities are increasingly feeling the economic impact of the tourism boom.

And, as Guyana’s tourism products continue to expand, more training will be required to ensure that the sector’s human resources demands are met, Minister Walrond explained, further highlighting the role the institute will play in ensuring the local services sector remains robust.

The establishment of a Tourism and Hospitality Training Institute has been on the cards for several years now.

In 2014, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government had budgetted some US$4 million for the construction of the institute. Later, in 2019, the Coalition Government had announced the award of a US$250,000 contract to finance the building’s design. At the time, the land for the project was being finalised.

In January 2024, the sod was turned for the construction of the US$7 million institute, through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).