THE Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) hosted a Regional Tourism Youth Congress on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal.
The vision for the congress is grounded in a fundamental understanding that youths have an important role in the decisions that will shape Guyana’s tourism industry.
The congress is one of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) signature developmental initiatives, bringing together students between the ages of 14 and 17 from across the Caribbean, with each participant serving as a junior minister or commissioner of tourism.
It serves as Guyana’s national testing ground and preparation space, where the ideas debated, strategies refined, and leaders forged will directly inform how Guyana represents itself when youth delegates from across the Caribbean meet in October for the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC).
As the host nation, Guyana has the opportunity to showcase the quality of its tourism products and the perspectives of its youths.
The Regional Youth Congress is providing a platform for discussions on issues such as climate resilience, smart technology, and inclusive growth, making this preparation phase relevant.
Through this platform, youths will be empowered to transform their passions into actionable policy ideas and sustainable tourism models; bridge policy and passion by building strong partnerships between youth organisations and governmental bodies to ensure that young voices inform national development, and finally, promote regenerative tourism by championing eco-friendly practices that protect Guyana’s rich biodiversity for generations to come.
Director of the GTA, Kamrul Baksh, called it a historic moment for Guyana. Noting that this is the first time Guyana is hosting this congress, he said that the country is no longer knocking on doors, but now has a seat at the table when it comes to tourism within the Caribbean region.
He emphasised that there cannot be a conversation about tourism in Guyana, or the region, or in any part of the world, without the youths.
“Your voices, your inputs, are integral in the planning and the execution of tourism development and promotion; and this here is very historic,” Baksh said.
