Dear Editor,
FOR too long, tourism in Guyana and much of the wider Caribbean has been imagined primarily in terms of natural wonders—forests, rivers, and beaches. While these remain invaluable, a more powerful and sustainable form of tourism is emerging worldwide: lifestyle tourism.
This is not about monuments or “big events” but about the rhythms of daily life—how and where people gather, eat, drink, and socialise. In this sense, what’s in a name is everything: lifestyle tourism signals not just travel, but participation in a modern way of living.
From Rum Shops to Modern Cafés

In Guyana, the traditional rum shop has long been a social hub, especially for men. But its culture often leans toward overconsumption, quarrels, and exclusion. Modern tourism, and modern society, requires different spaces. Open-air cafés, stylish restaurants, rooftop bars, and riverside terraces represent not just new physical places but new cultural habits: meeting to converse, to network, to share ideas, to enjoy food and music in a welcoming environment for men and women, young and old, Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese alike.
This shift is not about abandoning tradition; it is about elevating social life to reflect Guyana’s growing aspirations. Just as Parisian cafés became symbols of intellectual and cultural vitality, and London’s pubs evolved into gastro-bars attracting global visitors, Guyana too can reimagine its social venues as places of refinement, creativity, and inclusivity.
Paris has turned the café into an emblem of urban sophistication, where tourists and locals alike gather for conversation and leisure.
London has modernised the pub into a cosmopolitan space blending tradition with innovation.

Brazil’s beach bars and botecos showcase a lifestyle of music and community, attracting global admiration.
Caribbean neighbors are slowly shifting from rum-shop stereotypes to open-air restaurants and entertainment districts that welcome families and visitors.
Suriname demonstrates how cultural diversity can be expressed through riverside cafés and markets, allowing tourists to experience modern multicultural life.
Thailand uses its vibrant night markets and rooftop bars to present itself as both authentically local and unmistakably modern.

These examples show that lifestyle tourism thrives not in grand monuments but in the small, everyday places where people gather.
Guyana today stands at a crossroads. With rapid economic growth and international attention, the country must project an image of modernity. One powerful way to do this is to reimagine the social spaces that define daily life. Open-air cafés in Georgetown, riverfront terraces in Berbice, seafood courts in Essequibo, and family-friendly bars across Linden or Bartica could all become lifestyle tourism anchors. These spaces would offer not only recreation but also opportunities for small business growth, creative industries, and cross-cultural exchange.

Lifestyle tourism also fosters inclusivity. Unlike rum shops that often alienate women and younger people, modern cafés and restaurants invite broad participation. They create a healthier social culture—less about drunken quarrels, more about conversation, creativity, and community.

“What’s in a name?” For lifestyle tourism, the name represents transformation. To call a café, a restaurant, or a riverside terrace a hub of lifestyle tourism is to claim modernity, inclusivity, and global belonging. Guyana can and must move beyond the old rum shop image toward spaces that reflect its promise as a rising modern society.

The government, private investors, and citizens together can build a culture of lifestyle tourism that benefits all—urban and rural, Indo- and Afro-Guyanese, men and women—while projecting Guyana’s future as a nation not only of resources, but of refined and modern ways of life.
Sincerely,
Dr. Walter H. Persaud
WCD