Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues believes Guyanese must be given the opportunity to explore the beauty of their homeland, as she laid out her plans to inject new life into Tourism Industry.
In a meeting on Monday with hotel and resort operators at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, Minister Rodrigues said since her appointment she has been bombarded with messages about “affordability” and the inability of Guyanese to explore Guyana.
“Guyanese who live here, born bred Guyanese have not experienced the beauty of Guyana. And so, our first customer base must be the people who live here, Guyanese. And quite often we don’t think about them, we don’t cater for them. And so, that is another thing we need to address, some of the issues, like affordability, we have to address that,” Minister Rodrigues said.
The Tourism Minister said she will be working with hoteliers, lodge, resort and tour operators to address the issue of costs going forward
Her plans for the tourism and hospitality industry target both locals and foreigners alike, and will see all the sub-sectors within the industry collaborating to promote “Destination Guyana” as a brand.
In this regard, the Tourism Minister is working with the Guyana Tourism Authority to have more information desks established at airports, ferry crossings and other points of entry, as well as in hotels, and restaurants.
“I have already discussed with the Guyana Tourism Authority for us to establish a permanent presence at our ports of entry. We will be there, and we will ensure that all of our visitors who are entering our country, that we provide them with as much information as possible on what we have to offer, and tailor it to the type of visitors entering our country,” Minister Rodrigues said.
Minister Rodrigues said no longer can operators within the industry work in “silos,” as she underscored the need for enhanced collaboration within the industry to set the Tourism Industry on the path to becoming the lead revenue and foreign currency earner for the country.
She said operators also stand to benefit.
“It is also a way to increase your own occupancy because it gives you a competitive advantage if you can offer packages for people who are staying at your facility. It makes you more competitive, because you are not only offering a room, you are offering an experience,” Minister Rodrigues.
To ensure visitors get the best experience, Minister Rodrigues said starting 2026, the Tourism Ministry will be launching a Annual Calendar of Activities to highlight all holidays and major events unfolding through the year.
At present, the country enjoys an 18% increase in visitors, and the Tourism Minister anticipates that by 2030, the country would receive more than a million tourists and visitors. However, she spoke of the need to build capacity.
At present, the country has approximately 4,200 hotel rooms available. However, with 15 hotels under construction across the country, the number of available rooms is expected to increase to 6,400 but Minister Rodrigues said more capacity is needed.
Minister Rodrigues said the Tourism Ministry stands ready to provide the necessary support in the various sectors and subsectors, but all hands must be on deck.
“The next five years would be one of collaboration, that we would be available to you, my office, the entire ministry, the Guyana Tourism Authority will be available to you. We want your business to be successful but we also want Guyanese and our visitors to be able to experience destination Guyana,” she said.
Minister Rodrigues and her team also met with tour operators on Monday.
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