Guyana leaders urge youth to pursue entrepreneurship and tourism careers

Industry leaders in Guyana are urging the nation's youth to embrace entrepreneurship and professional career paths to ensure long-term economic stability. At the Guyana Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Youth Entrepreneurship Conference, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues emphasized that while oil revenues are currently transforming national infrastructure, the country must avoid a “bubble” by fostering a diversified economy. She noted that the goal is to move beyond reliance on government jobs and contracts toward a landscape of producers, investors, and innovators.

In the tourism sector, officials are working to shift perceptions regarding hospitality careers. During the Regional Tourism Youth Congress, Kamrul Baksh of the Guyana Tourism Authority and Mitra Ramkumar of the Tourism Hospitality Association of Guyana challenged the idea that tourism is limited to “menial” or low-skilled roles. They described frontline workers as the “stars” of the industry, highlighting that high-quality service from staff is essential for driving repeat visitation and sector growth.