Guyana's room capacity is projected to reach nearly 6,000 by the end of 2026, according to Kamrul Baksh, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority. Mr Baksh made the remarks at the State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026. He said a further 15 hotels are expected to open in the coming years. The figures are the Authority's own projections and have not been independently verified.

Mr Baksh said capacity has risen significantly since 2020, driven by new properties and the arrival of international brands. He named Hyatt, AC Hotels by Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton among those contributing to the growth. He did not give a room count for 2020 or a breakdown of rooms by brand, so the scale of the increase cannot be measured from his remarks.

The extra rooms are intended to serve the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions market, known in the industry as MICE, as well as leisure and diaspora travel. Mr Baksh said the capacity would also house visitors who come for major events and to see the country's natural and cultural attractions.

As evidence of demand, he said Guyana has hosted more than 20 conferences and exhibitions so far this year. These events, he said, brought business to restaurants, bars and other services linked to tourism. No visitor numbers, occupancy rates or revenue figures were supplied to back this up.

Mr Baksh then turned to quality. He said investment in hotels has to be matched by better service and development of the workforce. "Guyana is at a place where we need to upscale our human capacity," he said.

One response to that gap is the Hospitality and Tourism Institute, which is due to be completed by the end of 2026. It is meant to supply the skilled workers the industry will need as new hotels open. Mr Baksh gave no enrolment figures, course details or date for the start of classes.

He also said that about 80 tours and experiences have been introduced over the past six years. They were developed with the private sector to widen what visitors can do during a stay.

Several questions remain open. Mr Baksh did not say how many of the 15 new hotels are under construction or when each will open. Current occupancy is unknown, as is the number of staff the sector will need. It is not clear whether the growth in rooms will match the growth in visitors.

No hotel operator, workers' representative or independent analyst was quoted in the material available. Comment from them would allow the projections to be tested.

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