Guyana Is Looking to Grow Its Cruise Tourism Business With a New Caribbean Master Class

Guyana is preparing to take a closer look at cruise tourism as the country hosts the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s biggest annual tourism conference this fall.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization, working with the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence, will hold a special Cruise Master Class during the 2026 State of the Tourism Industry Conference in Guyana from Oct. 5-9, with a focus on helping Guyana develop its potential as an emerging cruise destination.

The session, called “Maximizing Destination Value through Cruise Tourism,” will bring together tourism officials, private-sector leaders and other stakeholders for a detailed look at what destinations need to attract cruise business and generate more local economic activity from ship calls.

The program comes as Guyana continues to expand its tourism profile beyond its growing airlift network and adventure sector, with cruise tourism emerging as another possible avenue for development.

Michele Paige, CEO of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, will participate in the Master Class in Georgetown. The association works with cruise lines and destinations across the Caribbean and Latin America on cruise development, destination engagement and economic opportunities tied to the industry.

The Guyana session will cover destination readiness, tourism product development, shore experiences, service standards, cruise line expectations and opportunities for local businesses.

CTO officials say the goal is to give participants a clearer understanding of how cruise lines evaluate destinations and how communities can prepare for cruise arrivals.

“Cruise tourism presents the entire Caribbean with an exciting opportunity. But we must have a clear understanding of how the industry works and the importance of strong partnerships, compelling visitor experiences and a workforce and business community prepared to deliver at a consistently high standard,” said Norris Clement, CTO’s deputy director of professional services.

“This Master Class is about building that foundation and equipping stakeholders with practical knowledge that can help Guyana and the wider Caribbean continue to approach cruise tourism strategically, sustainably and competitively,” Clement said.

The program also fits into the CTO’s broader Reimagine Plan 2025–2027 and the work of its Cruise, Yachting and Ferry Committee, which is focused on strengthening ties between Caribbean destinations and the marine tourism sector.

The Master Class will include Beth Hatt, founder of the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence, along with Ambra Attus, Aquila’s director of impact, development and growth.

Aquila has more than 35 years of experience in the cruise sector through its work with Aquila Tours in Saint John, New Brunswick. The organization provides training for destinations, tour operators, guides and tourism businesses, with programs covering the visitor experience and operational demands of cruise tourism.

“Cruise tourism represents an important opportunity, but maximizing that opportunity requires looking beyond the cruise call itself,” Hatt said. “It means understanding where value is created and where it can be strengthened, while building destination readiness, compelling visitor experiences, local participation and strong partnerships.”

Guyana would bring a different product to the Caribbean cruise market than many of the region’s traditional island ports.

The South American country has built much of its tourism identity around rainforest, wildlife, rivers, indigenous communities and adventure travel, including experiences connected to the country’s interior and attractions such as Kaieteur Falls.

Developing a larger cruise business would require connecting ship arrivals with those experiences while also creating excursions and services that can operate within the schedules and operational requirements of cruise lines.

The Master Class will examine how destinations approach those questions, including the quality of shore excursions, local transportation, tour guide training, port experiences and the ability of local companies to participate in the cruise economy.

Cruise tourism remains one of the Caribbean’s largest visitor segments, with ports throughout the region competing for itineraries from major cruise companies while also trying to increase passenger spending ashore.

The economic impact of a ship call can extend well beyond port fees, including tour operators, guides, restaurants, retailers, transportation companies and attractions. Cruise destinations across the region have increasingly focused on increasing the share of passenger spending that reaches local businesses.

Guyana’s entry into that market would add another dimension to a tourism sector already seeing significant investment in hotels and aviation.

Georgetown has added new hotels in recent years as international interest in Guyana has grown, driven in part by the country’s rapidly expanding energy industry and increasing business travel. Tourism officials have also been promoting the country’s nature and adventure experiences to leisure visitors.

Cruise tourism could give Guyana another way to introduce first-time visitors to the destination, particularly travelers sailing Caribbean and northern South American itineraries.

The October program will give local tourism stakeholders direct contact with executives and specialists who work with cruise lines across the region, while providing information on what cruise companies examine when considering new ports and shore programs.

The conference itself will also mark a milestone for Guyana.

It will be the first time Guyana hosts the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference, one of the region’s leading annual gatherings of tourism officials and private-sector executives.

This year’s conference will run under the theme “Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive.”

SOTIC regularly brings together tourism ministers, commissioners and directors of tourism, hotel and tourism executives, industry specialists and media from across the Caribbean and international markets.

The Guyana edition is expected to focus on the region’s tourism outlook, new investment, destination development and ways Caribbean countries can capture greater economic benefits from tourism.

Cruise development will now form a significant part of those discussions, particularly as Guyana examines what it would take to compete for more ship calls and connect cruise passengers with the country’s tourism businesses and experiences.

The Cruise Master Class will take place during SOTIC’s Oct. 5-9 program in Guyana, giving the country an opportunity to examine the cruise sector while tourism leaders from across the Caribbean are gathered in Georgetown.