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# Guyana hosts Caribbean tourism week as focus turns to diversification
- URL: https://www.brownytimes.com/guyana-hosts-caribbean-tourism-week-diversification/
- Published: 2026-10-07T05:07:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-07T05:07:02.000Z
- Description: SOTIC 2026 brings Caribbean tourism leaders to Georgetown, putting diversification, investment and cultural authenticity at the centre of the regional conversation.
- Author: Browny Times
- Tags: Business, Tourism, SOTIC 2026, Caribbean tourism, Guyana, News

Guyana is hosting the Caribbean Tourism Organization's State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) for the first time, bringing regional tourism officials, industry leaders and other stakeholders to Georgetown for discussions on the future of the sector.

SOTIC 2026 runs from October 5 to 9 at Atlantic Suites by Hyatt under the theme "Tourism Futures: Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive." CTO business meetings are scheduled for October 5 and 6, followed by the main conference on October 7 and 8\. The Regional Tourism Youth Congress is set for October 8, with destination media briefings scheduled for October 9.

The programme covers tourism research and intelligence, technology, sustainability, destination competitiveness, Indigenous tourism, the creative economy, cruise tourism and investment-related discussions.

Those sessions create opportunities for policy discussion, networking and potential business engagement, but the published programme alone does not establish that new investments, agreements or projects have resulted from the conference.

One issue already emerging from the week is how Caribbean destinations can expand their tourism offerings without weakening the culture and identity that make them distinctive.

Speaking during a Future Leaders Forum in Georgetown on October 5, Guyana Tourism Authority Director Kamrul Baksh urged Caribbean destinations to diversify visitor experiences while preserving cultural authenticity. He also highlighted opportunities for younger entrepreneurs and local communities to build tourism businesses around cultural heritage, traditional skills and other locally rooted experiences.

![Infographic summarising SOTIC 2026 in Guyana](https://storage.ghost.io/c/da/50/da50bf94-fb5e-44e9-ba04-2dba6616a1e6/content/images/2026/10/BT-20261006-A-01_SOTIC_Infografia_BT_V1.0.png)

Graphic: Browny Times.

For Guyana, hosting SOTIC places tourism development, investment, visitor experience and regional policy discussions in the same venue, at a time when the country is seeking to expand its profile as a destination.

The longer-term test, however, will come after the conference: whether the discussions lead to measurable projects, stronger tourism businesses, new income opportunities or tangible benefits for communities will require evidence beyond conference programmes and speakers' remarks.