Guyana is adding hotels, attracting airlines and celebrating rising visitor arrivals. But research recognised at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s recent conference in Georgetown raises a question investors should examine: why are Caribbean people choosing to holiday outside their own region?
Dr. Dalano DaSouza of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and Dr. Dennis Mc Call Jr. of Teesside University received the inaugural Caribbean Tourism Intelligence Award at the State of the Tourism Industry Conference, held October 5–9. Their paper examines the substitution of intra-Caribbean tourism with travel to destinations outside the region. Drawing on responses from 1,103 Caribbean nationals across 23 jurisdictions, it explores how travel costs, international flight connections, visa access, migration and diaspora ties influence those choices.
The implications extend beyond tourism ministries. A traveller choosing a destination compares the entire trip: airfare, connections, accommodation, activities and the convenience of reaching friends or relatives. Caribbean identity alone cannot secure a booking. Guyana must offer an experience whose value justifies the cost and effort of getting here.
The research also finds that age, income, education and nationality influence how travellers respond to these factors. That matters for businesses tempted to treat “the Caribbean visitor” as one market. Different customers have different budgets, motivations and expectations. A regional family considering a short holiday requires a different offer from an overseas Guyanese returning to visit relatives.
Guyana’s growth provides a strong foundation. Tourism Minister Susan Rodrigues reported 360,623 visitor arrivals during the first nine months of 2026, following a record 453,489 in 2025. She also reported the addition of 12 airlines since 2020 and nine internationally branded hotels. These developments expand capacity and access, but arrival totals alone cannot tell investors which leisure markets are growing or what visitors will purchase.
The tourism cooperation agreement signed by Guyana and Jamaica during SOTIC offers one possible avenue. It establishes a framework covering investment, air connectivity, training and sustainable tourism, with Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett highlighting opportunities for multi-destination tourism.
A combined Jamaica–Guyana holiday could pair established Caribbean attractions with Guyana’s forests, wildlife and cultural experiences. Making that commercially attractive, however, would require workable flight schedules, transparent pricing and coordinated bookings. An agreement creates an opening. Businesses and governments must turn it into something travellers can easily buy.
For smaller operators, the practical questions are immediate. Can a regional visitor purchase a clearly priced weekend package? Are airport transfers reliable? Can guests book excursions before arrival? Does the experience match the promise made online?
Guyana’s diaspora, regional visitors and international leisure travellers all offer opportunities, but they cannot be reached with identical products and marketing. The lesson for investors is straightforward: building rooms creates capacity. Understanding why people choose a destination creates demand. Guyana needs both.