Expos are strategic platforms for investment – Tourism Minister

…as businesses at Rupununi Expo encouraged to build new partnerships, explore opportunities, demonstrate region’s economic potential

The future of commerce in Guyana’s hinterland took centre stage on Friday evening as regional leaders, diplomats, entrepreneurs and special invitees gathered for the formal opening of the 2025 Rupununi Expo.
Keynote speaker and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues, was joined by Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sarah Browne-Shadeek; Consular General to Brazil, Rodger King; Deputy Mayor of Lethem, Indira Singh; along with representatives from the Georgetown diplomatic community and other distinguished guests and special invitees.
In her address to exhibitors and attendees, Minister Rodrigues emphasised that a number of expos have been held across the country throughout the year, describing these events as more than ceremonial gatherings but strategic platforms for engagement. According to Rodrigues, expos provide critical avenues for businesses to interface, promote their products, exchange ideas and showcase Guyana’s capacity across all economic sectors.
Turning her focus specifically to the Rupununi, the Tourism Minister described this expo as particularly distinctive, given Region Nine’s cultural richness and evolving market potential. She urged exhibitors not to treat the event as mere display booths but as opportunities to forge new alliances, identify expansion openings, and actively demonstrate the region’s economic strength.
Rodrigues also made it clear that Region Nine will not be left behind in Guyana’s national development agenda. She reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Region Nine continues to advance at the same pace as coastal regions, despite historical logistical constraints. Her remarks echoed an ongoing national priority to balance growth across all 10 administrative regions.
Major national infrastructure, she added, is expected to become the game-changer for hinterland commerce. Rodrigues noted that the completion of the Linden–Lethem Road Corridor and the Kurupukari Bridge will drastically improve access to Rupununi communities, reduce travel time, increase safety for commuters, and strengthen the movement and preservation of livestock and agricultural goods.
With improved infrastructure in motion, the Linden–Lethem corridor is expected to transition beyond a road network into a thriving economic zone. Rodrigues predicted that once the corridor is complete, surrounding businesses will experience heightened economic flow involving fresh produce, livestock and value-added goods moving more freely into wider markets, including Brazil and coastal Guyana. She urged businesses operating along this corridor to start preparing now for the surge of commercial activity expected in the coming years.
Another major development milestone for the region was also announced when Rodrigues revealed that for the first time in history, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has secured representation on the planning committee for the Rupununi Rodeo. This new inclusion signals what insiders believe could be a turning point for how events, tourism and commerce are integrated for hinterland economic expansion.
With intentions already underway to enhance the annual rodeo season, Rodrigues encouraged business owners to begin expanding accommodation capacity to meet increased demand, particularly during peak rodeo periods. She noted that visitors have steadily increased for hinterland cultural events and highlighted the urgency for private sector investment in new guest housing, lodges and commercial stay facilities to avoid market accommodation shortages. Rodrigues painted a clear picture of an emerging Region Nine economy carrying far greater potential than what currently exists.
Her remarks were direct: the region is positioned for major growth. Businesses willing to network, invest and cooperate regionally and bilaterally – particularly with Brazil – stand to benefit from what is coming.