— equipped with practical skills as Guyana’s tourism sector expands

THE picturesque Baganara Island Resort served as the backdrop on Saturday as seven tourism professionals graduated from the three-month Visit Rupununi/Baganara Hospitality Training Programme, gaining practical experience and industry-relevant skills aimed at strengthening service standards within Guyana’s growing tourism sector.
The programme, a collaborative initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), provided participants with three months of hands-on exposure to several areas of hospitality at the resort, including food and beverage service, housekeeping, guest relations and daily resort operations.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues, in congratulating the graduates, emphasised that practical experience remains critical to preparing people for the realities of working in Guyana’s tourism industry, particularly in interior communities where hospitality workers are often required to adapt to unique circumstances.
“Programmes like these are so critical because there’s nothing or no classroom that can really replace the real-life experience,” she said.
Emphasising adaptability and professionalism, she added: “You are not going to have a class that will teach you what to do if the Wi-Fi goes down or if the solar decides it is not going to work today, or the rain falls and the batteries are not charged, and you have to figure out a way to entertain your guests and polish off that experience and find something positive to do in that time.”
Minister Rodrigues said the training programme forms part of a wider effort to ensure that communities benefit directly from the expansion of Guyana’s tourism industry, particularly as more visitors venture into the country’s interior and new tourism products continue to emerge.
“Seeing seven young people from interior communities complete this programme and gain practical, industry-relevant skills is exactly how we ensure that the benefits of tourism growth reach the communities where that growth is taking place,” she said.
The Minister noted that while Guyana has made significant progress in developing its tourism sector, there remains a need to expand training opportunities and create a stronger pool of professionals who see hospitality as a long-term career.
“A lot of work has been done, but there is a lot more work that has to be done. We have to complete the Tourism and Hospitality Institute so we can do this training in more areas, more modules, train more people to supply all of our lodges with a consistent workforce and with people who view tourism as a career,” she said.
For the graduates, the programme offered more than technical training, providing an opportunity to work together, overcome challenges unique to the sector and gain a deeper appreciation for the industry.
Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Gaymon Edwards, a graduate and Lodge Manager at Rewa Lodge, described the three-month programme as an important period of growth, particularly as the participants came from different backgrounds and formed the pilot cohort.
“Looking back, I believe the three months was an excellent period for us. It gave us time to learn, to gain practical experience, to face challenges, and to grow both personally and professionally,” he said.
“As the first participants of this pilot programme, we came here from different backgrounds, but we leave with new knowledge, new friendship, and greater appreciation of the hospitality and tourism industry. From our experiences, I believe this pilot programme has been a success, and we are grateful to have been given this opportunity to be part of its beginning.”
The importance of investing in people was also underscored by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) representative Lorena Solorzano-Salazar, who pointed to the role trained professionals play in determining the quality of a visitor’s experience.
“We are the Inter-American Development Bank. We believe that one of the best investments we can make is in the people. Our own values talk about improving people’s lives. Infrastructure is important, but people make the difference,” she said.
“After all, a beautiful lodge without excellent service is a bit like a smartphone without a battery. It may look impressive, but it is not going to be very good. Tourism is about the people, the people that are behind it, and we can see today here the guides, the cooks, the entrepreneurs, housekeepers, the maintenance team and guest services.”
As the seven graduates return to their communities, Minister Rodrigues urged them to put their newly acquired skills into practice and share their knowledge with others.
“Over these 90 days, you have experienced the demands of hospitality firsthand, from food and beverage service and housekeeping to guest relations and daily resort operations. My charge to you today is simple: Take what you’ve learned and share it,” she said.
She encouraged the graduates to return to their communities with confidence and pride, noting that their development represents an investment not only in themselves, but in the future of tourism in the Rupununi and Guyana as a whole.
“Return home with confidence, lead by example and serve with pride. The future of tourism in the Rupununi is brighter because of the investment you have made in yourself,” she said.
The completion of the pilot programme comes as Guyana continues to expand its tourism offerings while developing a larger tourism and hospitality workforce capable of delivering professional and memorable experiences to visitors across the country.