— 18 slated for 2026; over 10,000 international attendees recorded from 12 events so far

GUYANA is strengthening its position as an international conference destination, with 18 international conferences slated for 2026 and more than 10,000 overseas attendees already recorded from 12 events held so far this year.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues, said another six international conferences are expected before the end of 2026, as Guyana continues to capitalise on investments in hotels, airlift and infrastructure while recording growth in visitor arrivals.
Speaking at a closing ceremony on Saturday, Minister Rodrigues said the country has been actively promoting itself as a destination for exhibitions and conferences.
“This is the year that we have been really promoting Guyana as a destination for exhibitions and conferences, and we have already held 12 international conferences for this year alone, and we have six more before the end of the year,” the Minister said.
According to Rodrigues, the 12 conferences have so far brought more than 10,000 international attendees to Guyana, with several major events still to come, including the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference, scheduled for October.
“So, 18 international conferences that have brought, so far, for the 12 conferences, over 10,000 visitors or attendees—international attendees—for those 12 conferences, and we have some huge ones coming up, including the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference that will be held in October,” she said.
Rodrigues said hosting major international tourism events represents an important opportunity for Guyana to contribute to wider discussions about the future of the region’s tourism industry while showcasing the country’s own growing tourism potential.
“Finally, an international conference all based on tourism and discussing the future of tourism, and we all know that the future of tourism includes a conversation on the future of Guyana’s tourism, which is sustainable and regenerative,” she said.
“That is the type of tourism that we want to see and build in the future, and Guyana has a very important part to play in framing the Caribbean conversation on the future of tourism.”
Rodrigues noted that Guyana’s growing ability to attract and accommodate large international conferences reflects significant investments made in the tourism sector over recent years, including the expansion of accommodation and airlift capacity.
“I think it is a very appropriate time for this conference to be held in Guyana for the very first time, and these conferences could not have been held here six years ago. It could not have happened if we did not build the nine new international hotels that are now open in Guyana,” she said.
The Minister further pointed to improvements in connectivity and infrastructure, noting that these developments have helped create the conditions necessary for Guyana to position itself as an international conference destination.
“It could not have happened if we did not expand our airlift capacity and added 12 new airlifts to the Guyana route. It could not have happened if we did not make the investments in infrastructure, and it could not have happened without the dedication of all of the stakeholders in tourism, and so we are very proud to be able to have done this work,” Rodrigues said.
VISITOR ARRIVALS CLIMB
The growth in conference tourism comes against the backdrop of an overall increase in international visitor arrivals to Guyana this year.
Rodrigues said Guyana welcomed 226,465 international visitors during the first six months of 2026, representing a 12 per cent increase year-to-date.
Visitor arrivals continued to climb in July, with the country recording numbers the Minister described as historic.
“In July alone, we recorded a historic 45,127 arrivals, an 11.1 per cent increase over July 2025, bringing our total visitor arrivals for the first seven months of this year to 271,000 visitors,” she said.
While infrastructure, accommodation and connectivity have expanded Guyana’s capacity to welcome visitors, Minister Rodrigues stressed that the quality of the visitor experience ultimately depends on the people working within the tourism sector.
“But visitors do not remember only our attractions, hotels or infrastructure. They remember how we made them feel. Infrastructure gives us the capacity to host, but it is our people, their professionalism, warmth and attention to detail that define the experience. That is why training remains such an important part of our tourism strategy,” she said.
Against this backdrop, the Government has continued investing in developing a skilled tourism and hospitality workforce across the country.
Minister Rodrigues said that over the past six years, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has trained more than 13,000 people across all 10 regions in areas including customer service, food safety, ecolodge management and tour guiding.
“We are also investing in the future of hospitality training through the construction of the National Hospitality and Tourism Training Institute at Port Mourant, which will provide training in areas including hotel management, culinary arts and resort administration,” she said.
With six more international conferences expected before the end of the year, alongside continued growth in visitor arrivals, Guyana is positioning itself to capture a larger share of the international meetings and events market while strengthening its wider tourism product.