THE Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) significantly expanded its national training programme in 2025, equipping more than 3,000 individuals with critical skills as the country positions itself for sustained growth in the tourism sector.
According to the GTA’s Training and Licensing Department, a total of 3,033 persons were trained last year across a wide range of capacity-building programmes. These included First Aid and CPR, tour guiding, business and financial management, mixology, food safety standards, customer service delivery, destination management, and social media marketing, among others.
The figure represents a steady upward trajectory in training participation over the past three years. In 2023, some 2,250 persons benefitted from the programmes, increasing to 2,536 in 2024, before surpassing the 3,000 mark in 2025.
The expansion forms part of a broader push by the GTA to rebuild and strengthen the tourism industry following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Training efforts were significantly ramped up between 2020 and 2022 as authorities prepared for increased visitor arrivals and sectoral recovery.
Officials noted growing interest in the programmes, particularly among community members, youth, taxi operators and small business owners, reflecting a widening base of participation in the industry.
The GTA continues to rotate its training sessions across administrative regions, with plans to extend outreach further into underserved and hinterland communities to ensure more inclusive development of the sector.
Training sessions are offered free of cost and are open to members of the public seeking to enter the tourism industry. However, the authority emphasised that completion of specific courses—such as tour guiding and First Aid and CPR—is mandatory for licensing in certain areas.
The training initiative aligns with ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce and the GTA to enhance workforce readiness and improve service standards across the sector.
As part of its continued outreach, the GTA will host a Customer Service and Business Etiquette Training session in Bartica from March 31 to April 1, 2026. The two-day programme, scheduled from 08:30 hrs to 15:00 hrs, will target tourism businesses and cover areas such as front desk operations, telephone etiquette, personal image management, intercultural protocols, and customer service.
With limited spaces available, tourism stakeholders are being encouraged to register early for the upcoming session.
