GUYANA’S tourism sector has taken a significant turn in recent years, from the addition of hotel rooms and more tourism experiences being created, to the marketing of ‘Destination Guyana.’

This year alone, Guyana has seen strides that will ensure that the country’s economy, and communities where tourism is promoted, benefit.

During the Guyana Tourism Awards and Gala 2025 on Tuesday, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh in his remarks acknowledged the architect of Guyana’s new tourism frontier and framework, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, saying, “He has not only given us the vision, but he has clearly articulated all of the stepping stones that we, as the implementing agency need to implement so that we can achieve the mission that has been set out.”

Baksh added, “And, of course, the Minister Rodrigues, the effervescence, and the individual that has the innate passion and drive, and I think that passion has reverberated all across the tourism community.”

According to the GTA director, Guyana is well-positioned for a great future with this leadership.

Further, he stated that for Tourism Awareness Month, several sensitisation programmes were held locally and internationally. These included media familiarisation trips to the heartland of ecotourism, and the hallways of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, where new connections were established, reinforced and strengthened.

Noting that artificial intelligence (AI) is good for efficiency and visitor management, the director said people are what make the tourism industry think. “there’s nothing that can replace the human interaction,” Baksh said.

Sharing that our strategic partnerships have been strong, he emphasised that each of these partnerships have played a pivotal role in developing and promoting Guyana’s tourism economy.

During the ceremony, it was said that 2026 will mark an escalated push in the tourism sector. It was also emphasised by various officials that the government’s approach will be even more aggressive, with focus on those areas that have shown the greatest potential for expansion and long-term impact.