Kaieteur Falls is among the Guyana destinations featured by the official SOTIC 2026 conference website (Source: Caribbean Tourism Organization).
Guyana’s private sector has been invited to participate in the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference, which will be held in Georgetown from October 5 to 9, 2026.
This will be the first time Guyana hosts SOTIC. The conference theme is “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive,” and the programme is intended to connect tourism officials, companies, investors, researchers and other stakeholders from the Caribbean and international markets.
A separate September 4 tourism update reported more than 271,000 visitor arrivals during the first seven months of 2026. July accounted for more than 45,000 arrivals, which the ministry described as the highest total recorded for that month.
The government is targeting more than 500,000 arrivals by year-end. That figure is a policy target rather than a guaranteed forecast and should remain attributed to the government.
Business programme and participation
The dedicated SOTIC website lists Atlantic Suites by Hyatt as the host venue and divides the week into CTO business meetings on October 5 and 6, conference sessions on October 7 and 8, a Youth Congress on October 8 and destination media briefings on October 9.
President Irfaan Ali is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony on October 7.
The programme covers tourism intelligence and data, technology, sustainable and regenerative tourism, destination competitiveness, Indigenous tourism, the creative economy and cruise tourism. It also includes an Investing in Guyana Luncheon, a Cruise Master Class, business-to-business engagement and the Caribbean Tourism Research Forum.
The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Authority are encouraging participation from accommodation providers, attractions, transportation companies, tour operators, food-and-beverage businesses, aviation, creative industries, technology, finance and investment.
The September 4 release lists reduced rates of US$150 for a local delegate’s full conference week and US$50 for a local day pass. Registration status, availability and final terms should be checked on the official conference site before payment.
Tourism and conference demand
Hosting a regional conference can create near-term demand for rooms, ground transportation, catering, events, tours and professional services. SOTIC also gives local businesses access to visiting tourism decision-makers and potential partners.
The longer-term value will depend on whether meetings convert into distribution agreements, investment, repeat events or measurable visitor demand. Attendance and promotional exposure alone do not establish those commercial outcomes.
The conference also gives Guyana an opportunity to present its nature, culture and community-led tourism products to a regional audience. Businesses will need to demonstrate service quality, safety, reliability, environmental responsibility and the capacity to handle international clients if they are to convert that exposure into sustained demand.
The reported visitor total should not be confused with the number of leisure tourists. Official arrival statistics may include different travel purposes, and the September release does not provide a source-market or visitor-purpose breakdown for the 271,000 figure.
What businesses should prepare
Companies planning to participate should identify their target partners, prepare concise capability material and book B2B meetings early. Accommodation, transport and tour providers should also ensure that licences, insurance, safety procedures and service information are current.
Businesses should watch for the final programme, confirmed speakers, delegate list, exhibitor or vendor arrangements and any procurement notices associated with the conference.
The key benchmark after the event will not be attendance alone, but the number of commercial relationships, bookings and investment discussions that continue beyond October.
