AI, digital push to reshape Guyana’s tourism industry – tourism officials

Guyana’s tourism sector must embrace digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) while ensuring that people, communities and the country’s cultural and natural heritage remain at the centre of the industry, Tourism Minister Susan Rodrigues said in her message for World Tourism Day 2026.

World Tourism Day will be observed today, themed “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”

Rodrigues said the rapid development of AI and other emerging technologies is already changing the way travellers search for destinations, plan trips, make bookings and share their experiences. For destinations, she said, these technologies can improve understanding of visitors, enhance services, manage resources and make tourism more efficient, inclusive and sustainable.

“For Guyana, this presents a significant opportunity to strengthen the growth and competitiveness of our tourism sector,” Rodrigues said.

She noted as Guyana continues to position itself as a tourism destination, technology must form part of efforts to modernise the sector.

According to the Minister, digital tools can make it easier for visitors to discover attractions and tourism products, while AI-powered solutions can support businesses and improve the visitor experience. However, Rodrigues stressed that technological advancement must not come at the expense of the human element of tourism.

“AI should enhance the creativity, knowledge and warmth of our tourism workers, entrepreneurs and communities, rather than diminish the human connection that remains central to the tourism experience,” she said.

She also highlighted the need to ensure that the benefits of digital transformation extend to young innovators, small businesses and communities across Guyana.

Rodrigues said Government has a responsibility to prepare people and businesses to participate in the changing tourism landscape by developing digital skills, encouraging businesses to embrace innovation and strengthening the environment for responsible use of technology. She also pointed to the need for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, community-based tourism operators and entrepreneurs to have access to the tools, knowledge and support required to benefit from digital developments.

Technology must support

Meanwhile, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh, said technology must support the people and businesses that form the foundation of Guyana’s tourism industry. Baksh said the sector continues to grow, with more visitors arriving, new experiences being developed and businesses investing in services and facilities.

He said the GTA has already introduced several digital initiatives, including a tourism licensing portal intended to make the licensing process more accessible and efficient for tourism businesses. The Authority has also launched a destination booking engine, providing visitors with another avenue to discover and book tourism experiences in Guyana.

Baksh said virtual tours available through the destination website also allow prospective visitors to explore selected attractions and experiences before travelling.

“Visitors increasingly research destinations online, compare experiences, make decisions and complete bookings before they arrive,” he said, noting that tourism businesses must therefore be able to meet visitors through digital platforms and provide reliable information throughout that process.

Baksh, however, said technology must complement rather than replace the qualities that distinguish Guyana as a destination, including its natural environment, culture, heritage and hospitality. He said continued investment in training, standards, product development and digital capacity will be necessary to ensure tourism businesses and communities can benefit from technological changes.

Embrace tech

President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mitra Ramkumar, also called for greater use of technology and AI, particularly among small and medium-sized tourism businesses. Ramkumar said Guyana recorded 453,489 visitor arrivals in 2025, describing the figure as evidence of the sector’s continued growth. He noted, however, that tourism success should also be measured by the opportunities created for Guyanese, businesses sustained, careers generated and communities empowered.

According to Ramkumar, digital technology can help small tourism enterprises improve marketing, reservations and customer service, strengthen decision-making and reach international market.

He said a traveller may encounter Guyana through social media, videos, digital maps or AI-powered travel platforms before ever visiting the country.

“The question, therefore, is no longer whether Guyana should embrace digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence. We must,” Ramkumar said. At the same time, he stressed that technology should not replace the human experience.

“Technology should help us take these stories to the world, but our people must remain at the heart of the story,” he said.

Ramkumar also highlighted Guyana’s upcoming hosting of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), scheduled for October 5–9 under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive.” He said the conference will provide opportunities for discussions on technology, innovation, tourism intelligence and data, while allowing Guyana to showcase its tourism products and the people and businesses behind them. THAG, he said, intends to work with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, the GTA, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and private-sector partners to maximise the opportunities presented by the conference.

Ramkumar further stressed the importance of preparing young Guyanese for an industry increasingly influenced by AI, data analytics, digital marketing, content creation, sustainability and experience design.

“Our responsibility is not simply to prepare them to participate in that future. We must prepare them to lead it,” he said.

The three tourism stakeholders agreed that while digital transformation will play an increasingly important role in the sector, Guyana’s competitiveness will also depend on customer service, infrastructure and connectivity, access to financing, skilled workers and partnerships. Rodrigues said Guyana’s tourism sector must ultimately remain rooted in its people, communities, national identity, culture, heritage and natural environment while using technology to expand opportunities and strengthen its competitiveness.