‘A lot of preparation in the background’ – GTA Director reports 40,000 visitors in May

A landmark surge in visitor arrivals in May, 2026 is being touted as a result of significant preparations done by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

Director of the GTA, Kamrul Baksh on Monday revealed to the News Room that 40,000 people travelled to Guyana for the  60th Independence Diamond Jubilee celebrations. This represents a 20.6 per cent increase over previous numbers.

Baksh credited the strong performance to sustained behind-the-scenes work by the Authority, noting that the numbers did not happen by chance.

“It’s a lot of preparation in the background, a lot of training and capacity building that we do on a day-in and day-out basis,” he said.

According to Baksh the GTA runs programmes targeting the hotels as well as the tour guides and since 2020, some 8,000 persons were trained in hospitality, customer service, and food preparation.

These are part of investments in human capital, central to delivering quality visitor experiences as arrivals continue to climb.

Baksh further said that a significant boost in accommodation capacity is supporting the national agenda to provide comfort and space for the influx of travellers.