GUYANA has received the Green Destinations Country Baseline Assessment Award, recognising the country’s compliance with the criteria of the Green Destinations Standard and its ongoing efforts to strengthen sustainability across the tourism sector.
The award was presented on Wednesday by Dr D’Arcy Dornan, a Director at the Good Travel Institute, following a country baseline assessment conducted by the institute on behalf of Green Destinations International.
Dr Dornan said Guyana’s rich biodiversity, rivers, savannas, wildlife, living cultures and communities provide the country with a distinctive foundation for sustainable, nature-based tourism.
He noted that Guyana’s tourism industry is expanding rapidly, making sustainability increasingly important as the sector develops.
“Sustainability,” Dr Dornan said, is no longer simply about “doing the right thing”, but is increasingly linked to business performance through reduced costs, greater efficiency, compliance with emerging legislation, lower risk and stronger competitiveness.
He added that sustainable tourism practices can also help Guyana attract visitors aligned with its tourism offerings while providing credible evidence to investors and financial institutions.
According to Dr Dornan, the Good Travel Institute has been working with the Guyana Tourism Authority, public and private-sector stakeholders, communities, businesses, non-governmental organisations and tourism experience providers for several years to strengthen sustainability practices.
That work, he said, includes verifying sustainability claims, creating recognition and certification opportunities, and developing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress.
He said the country-level assessment is now evolving to include broader evaluations of destination performance and management, while continuing to use KPIs to identify priorities and support tourism development plans.
Dr Dornan said the focus should extend beyond simply increasing visitor numbers to determining the type of tourism Guyana wants to develop and the value it creates for citizens, businesses, communities and the environment.
“The question is not simply how many visitors the country can continue to attract, but what kind of tourism the country wants to continue to build, and what kind of value do we want those visitors to create for the people, for the businesses, for the communities, and for the environment,” he said.
The recognition comes as Guyana continues to position its natural and cultural assets as key components of its tourism offering, with sustainability providing a framework for managing growth while preserving the resources and experiences that underpin the sector.
