Caribbean governments, investors and tourism stakeholders have been urged to scale up investment in infrastructure, partnerships and tourism development, as the region cannot rely on its natural beauty alone to stay competitive.

President Dr Irfaan Ali made the call on Wednesday at the opening of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation's State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026 at Atlantic Suites by Hyatt in Georgetown.

The conference, hosted in Guyana for the first time, is being held under the theme "Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive". It brings together tourism officials, industry leaders and stakeholders from across the Caribbean.

Dr Ali said the industry has shown significant resilience since the COVID-19 pandemic, with international tourism having recovered to almost pre-pandemic levels by 2024. He argued that this resilience must now be backed by greater investment and stronger regional partnerships.

He said the Caribbean faces growing competition from destinations investing heavily in transportation, hospitality, digital tourism, major events and other infrastructure.

"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.

Dr Ali identified regional connectivity as critical to the future of Caribbean tourism, saying countries must move beyond developing the sector in isolation and build integrated transportation and tourism systems.

He pointed to Guyana's infrastructure, including the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, new regional airports, the deep-water port, road connectivity and new housing developments, as part of a wider development strategy.

He also called for greater regional cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, tourism data and digital tourism, saying Caribbean countries are too small to tackle some of these challenges individually.

Also addressing the forum, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues said Guyana recorded 453,489 visitor arrivals in 2025, a 22 per cent increase over 2024 and the highest ever recorded. She said 360,623 visitors were recorded in the first nine months of 2026.

She said the sector's growth must be measured not only by visitor numbers but by the opportunities it creates for Guyanese, including farmers, fishermen, drivers, tour guides, artisans, entertainers, entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Since 2020, Guyana has added 12 new airlines connecting it to North America, Europe, the Caribbean and South America, while nine internationally branded hotels have entered the market. The country has also hosted more than 18 conferences and major business events in 2026.

Rodrigues called for stronger cooperation among Caribbean destinations in regional air connectivity, tourism intelligence, destination linkages and joint marketing.

"The future of Caribbean tourism is collaborative," she said.

SOTIC 2026 continues until October 9.

President Dr Irfaan Ali