THE Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (MINTIC), has proudly announced that Guyana recorded high visitor arrivals in January 2026, with 34,923 visitors representing a 17.2 per cent increase compared to last year.
According to the ministry, the United States led all source markets with a 38 per cent share, followed by the Caribbean at 29 per cent and Latin America at 13 per cent, while Canada accounted for eight per cent and Europe for six per cent of total arrivals.
“This strong start to the year sets a positive tone for the rest of 2026. Through ongoing public-private collaboration and a focus on expanding and diversifying the country’s tourism offerings, Guyana remains well-positioned to sustain visitor growth and strengthen tourism’s contribution to national development,” the ministry added.
Earlier this year, it was highlighted that Guyana’s tourism sector recorded its strongest performance in 2025, closing that year with a total of 453,489 visitor arrivals, which represented a 22 per cent increase over 2024 and the highest annual total in the country’s history. At the time, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) in a press release shared that the results reinforced Guyana’s position as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the Caribbean.
The GTA presented an outlook for 2026, where it said that our nation’s record-breaking tourism growth in 2025 positions the destination for continued expansion in 2026.
Building on gains in market diversification and connectivity, Guyana is expected to strengthen its global eco-tourism brand further and reinforce its role as a regional benchmark for sustainable tourism growth.
The GTA projects that arrivals should reach 550,000 by the end of 2026.
With a trillion-dollar budget presented for 2026, the government has included a number of remarkable measures for this sector. These include the removal of the residency requirements for destination weddings, reducing the cost of vehicle ownership and hinterland transport, and the removal of all import duties and taxes on all-terrain vehicles for all categories.
The goal for this year, along with opening the new Hospitality and Tourism Institute, and hosting of the State of the Industry Conference, is to position Guyana as a preferred destination for conferences, weddings and reunions, especially amongst the diaspora market, and, to continue ongoing discussions with other major carriers to expand airlift capacity in Guyana.
