Over 1.2M passengers moved through Guyana’s ports of entry in 2025

– GTA cites historic year for tourism growth

The tourism industry in Guyana continues to record unprecedented growth, with more than one million passengers passing through the various ports of entry across the country in 2025. “Passenger traffic across all ports of entry surpassed 1.2 million in 2025,” President Dr Irfaan Ali disclosed on Saturday evening during his address at the opening of the AC Marriott Hotel at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD). According to the Head of State, investments in the tourism sector since 2020 has resulted in passenger movement increasing by close to 440 per cent. In fact, he noted that the arriving passenger traffic at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) alone – Guyana’s main port of entry, grew by close to 450 per cent in the last four years. Overall, the President added, international landing increased by 254 per cent in the last four years, while the number of aircraft seats grew by 400.5 per cent; international carriers servicing the Guyana market grew by a whopping 220, and destinations served by the airport increased by 184 per cent. “Those are some numbers that speak for itself,” the Guyanese leader declared. The Public Works Ministry had previously reported that international passenger movements at the CJIA and the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle went from 205,297 in 2020 to 938,715 in 2024.

Airline connectivity
Improvements in access to Guyana have played a major role in the growing number of visitor arrivals. The nation welcomed air services such as Dominican Republic air carrier Sky Cana, British Airways, Inter-Caribbean Airways, Jet Blue, Fly Always, Suriname Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and more recent, Canada’s Air Transat, in the last five years. In addition, Inter-Caribbean expanded operations here with flights at the Ogle Airport. Additionally, regional carrier, LIAT Air, has announced plans to begin scheduled services from the Ogle airport to Antigua. According to President Ali, the Ogle airport would see a further increase in operations in the coming years. “Ogle airport will not remain in municipal airport. We already have recent flights landing here and eventually more of those flights will arrive,” he stated. Meanwhile, Tourism Industry and Commerce Minister, Susan Rodrigues, also speaking at the hotel opening, pointed out that tourism is now firmly established as one of the main drivers of inclusive economic growth in Guyana.
“In 2025, our country achieved a record-breaking number of visitor arrivals, marking a significant increase over the previous year. This reflects the growing confidence in Guyana as a destination and is an achievement we can all be proud of. But we are not stopping there. Our vision is ambitious but achievable. By 2030, we are aiming to welcome one million visitors annually, along with three million passengers. Achieving this vision requires sustained investment in accommodation, airlift, infrastructure, and service,” Rodrigues noted.

Visitors’ arrival in 2025
In fact, Guyana’s tourism sector recorded its strongest performance to date in 2025, closing the year with some 453,489 visitor arrivals, representing a 22 per cent increase over 2024 and the highest annual total in the country’s history. In a joint statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) said these figures reinforce the country’s position as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the Caribbean.

Previous reports had pegged visitors’ arrival at approximately 42,306 visitors at the end of October 2025 – a staggering 28.9 per cent increase compared to October 2024. For November 2025, visitor arrivals reached 34,706, representing an eight per cent increase compared to November 2024. This performance, the Ministry said, was supported by increased diaspora travel for family reunions and cultural activities, improved airlift capacity and the adoption of digital booking systems that enhanced travel efficiency. The United States (US) and Caribbean markets remained dominant, while arrivals from Canada and Europe continued to show steady growth, it added.
When it comes to December 2025, some 47,337 visitor arrivals were recorded, demonstrating a 21 per cent increase over December 2024 and the highest number of visitor arrivals ever recorded in Guyana for that month. “This performance was driven by seasonal holiday travel, festive events, expanded regional connectivity and targeted marketing in both diaspora and leisure markets. While the US and Caribbean continued to lead source markets, notable growth from Europe and Latin America signalled Guyana’s expanding international appeal,” the Tourism Ministry stated.

Record-Breaking annual performance
Moreover, it was noted that Guyana closed 2025 with a record number of arrivals across all major source markets. The US accounted for 40 per cent of passengers last year and the Caribbean 33 per cent, followed by Canada and Latin America with seven per cent each, Europe six per cent and other markets also seven per cent. According to the Ministry, key contributors to this performance included expanded airline connectivity and competitive fares, strong post-pandemic diaspora demand, successful sports and cultural tourism events, and continued improvements in digital data monitoring systems. Effective collaboration between public- and private-sector stakeholders also played a critical role in strengthening tourism infrastructure and promotion.

Regional Validation
Meanwhile, as a member of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Guyana’s 2025 tourism performance was reflected in the organisation’s December 2025 regional tourism report, which benchmarked growth across Caribbean destinations. Between January and October 2025, Guyana recorded a 23.8 per cent increase in international arrivals, representing the highest growth rate among reporting Caribbean destinations during that period. Sister countries such as Dominica (+16.2 per cent), Trinidad & Tobago (+13.0 per cent) and the Cayman Islands (+2.1 per cent) trailed Guyana’s performance. When measured against pre-pandemic levels, Guyana achieved a 45.2 per cent increase in arrivals compared to 2019, placing it among the strongest tourism recoveries within the Caribbean. This placed Guyana ahead of Jamaica (+6.1 per cent), Dominica (+19.1 per cent), and St Vincent & the Grenadines (+37.4 per cent), underscoring resilience and rapid recovery. For 2026, the Ministry said Guyana’s record-breaking tourism growth last year positions the destination for continued expansion in 2026 with continued investment in airlift, infrastructure, marketing and digital systems remaining central to maintaining competitiveness and long-term resilience. “Building on gains in market diversification and connectivity, the country is expected to strengthen its global eco-tourism brand further and reinforce its role as a regional benchmark for sustainable tourism growth. Based on current trends, visitor arrivals are projected to reach 550,000 by the end of 2026,” the tourism Ministry noted.