President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has urged Caribbean governments, investors and tourism stakeholders to rethink the way the region develops and markets its tourism sector, warning that natural beauty alone will not be enough to remain competitive in the global industry.
The President made the call on Wednesday as he delivered the feature address at the official opening of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026 in Georgetown.
Guyana is hosting SOTIC for the first time, with this year’s conference being held under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive.” The event brings together tourism officials, investors, industry leaders and other stakeholders from across the Caribbean and beyond.
President Ali said the Caribbean must move beyond depending primarily on its natural attractions and instead make major investments in infrastructure, transportation, technology, resilience and new tourism experiences.
“Our natural product and our natural beauty are important assets. But if we are complacent about the way we will reorganise, reorient, revalue, reposition this asset, we are not going to optimise its value in the future,” he said.
Connectivity at the centre of tourism growth
According to President Ali, integrated transportation infrastructure will be critical if the Caribbean is to compete with destinations that are investing heavily in interconnected tourism ecosystems.
“The only thing that can take us forward by scale is integrated infrastructure, starting with an integrated transport system,” he said.
He pointed to major investments taking place in the Gulf, Latin America and other regions, arguing that Caribbean destinations must similarly improve connectivity between countries and make it easier for visitors to move throughout the region.
The President highlighted Guyana’s ongoing infrastructure programme, including the expansion of Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the development of regional airports at Lethem and Berbice, a new deep-water port, road networks and other major developments.
He said the country’s new airport infrastructure should not simply facilitate travel but should also reflect Guyana’s ambitions as a modern destination.
“An airport today is not the airport of yesterday,” President Ali said, emphasising that Terminal 2 should help tell the story of Guyana and its future aspirations.
Caribbean must make travel easier
President Ali also called for greater use of digital systems to simplify travel across the region, particularly visa processing.
A section of those attending the formal opening of SOTIC 26
He argued that lengthy and complicated visa procedures can discourage tourism, business travel and regional cooperation, calling for faster and more modern digital visa systems.
He said seamless movement between Caribbean destinations would help create a stronger regional tourism ecosystem and allow countries to benefit from each other’s attractions.
Building resilience into tourism
The President also urged tourism investors to incorporate disaster preparedness and business continuity into projects from the beginning rather than treating them as issues to be addressed after a disaster occurs.
He called for stronger contingency arrangements, resilience financing and insurance mechanisms, while encouraging the Caribbean to reduce its dependence on single markets and supply chains.
Greater use of locally produced food and regional suppliers, he said, could strengthen tourism’s economic benefits while making the industry more resilient.
AI and cybersecurity on the regional agenda
President Ali further proposed stronger regional cooperation in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
He argued that individual Caribbean countries may not have sufficient scale to independently develop the necessary systems and capabilities, making regional collaboration essential.
The President also challenged the private sector to become more ambitious in developing new tourism products.
As one example, he suggested that Guyana could develop a world-class tropical forest night safari, demonstrating how investment and innovation could create experiences beyond what nature already provides.
The Guyana Tourism Authority was also presented with the Green Destinations Country Baseline Assessment Award
Caribbean urged to pursue major global events together
President Ali also called for Caribbean countries to work collectively to attract major international events.
Rather than individual countries competing against each other, he suggested that the region could identify a group of major events it wants to attract by 2035 and collectively develop the infrastructure required to host them.
He pointed to Guyana’s growing international engagement, including its role in launching the Global Biodiversity Alliance and its application, with CARICOM support, to host a United Nations Conference of the Parties.
Tourism growth continues in Guyana
The conference comes as Guyana’s tourism industry continues to expand.
Tourism Minister Susan Rodrigues announced that the country recorded 360,623 visitor arrivals during the first nine months of 2026, following a record 453,489 arrivals in 2025. She also highlighted the arrival of new international airlines and the entry of internationally branded hotels into the Guyanese market.
Rodrigues has also stressed that tourism growth must extend beyond hotels and traditional tourism businesses, creating opportunities for farmers, taxi operators, restaurant owners, tour guides, artisans, entertainers and small businesses.
At the SOTIC opening, the Guyana Tourism Authority received the Green Destinations Country Baseline Assessment Award, recognising progress in sustainable destination development.
President Ali closed his address by stressing that tourism has demonstrated its resilience following the COVID-19 pandemic, but said the region must now strengthen that resilience through investment, infrastructure, partnerships and long-term planning.
“Tourism is always resilient. But we have to now add to that resilience by the infrastructure, the investment, the partnership, the strategy,” he said.
SOTIC 2026 continues in Guyana through October 9, with discussions focused on technology, sustainability, innovation, regional cooperation and the future competitiveness of Caribbean tourism.