Indigenous communities must be at the heart of decisions shaping the future of tourism, with their knowledge, culture, aspirations, and priorities as the foundation for development.

This is the view of Minister of Amerindian Affairs Sarah Browne-Shadeek as she made remarks at the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) at the Atlantic Suites by Hyatt in Kingston, Georgetown, on Thursday.

Minister Browne-Shadeek presented Guyana’s approach to indigenous tourism as one centred on community leadership, sustainable development and meaningful economic participation.

“Indigenous communities must not be treated merely as participants in tourism, but we must recognise them as leaders, decision makers, knowledge holders, and partners in shaping the future of our own destinations,” she said.

For Guyana, this approach is backed by significant investment in indigenous development.

The national budget provided $7.2 billion and $7.5 billion respectively over the past two years for indigenous development, while communities have also received a cumulative $16.9 billion through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) carbon credit programme.

These investments are supporting village-identified priorities, including economic activities, ecotourism, agriculture, infrastructure, land titling, women and youth initiatives and other local enterprises.

It also means creating an environment where communities are respected, consulted and empowered to determine their own development priorities.

Browne-Shadeek said this is particularly important as Guyana advances a model of regenerative tourism that recognises the diversity of indigenous communities and avoids imposing a single development path on them.

“Regenerative development should not impose any economic model on every village. It should create room for different communities to pursue different futures.”

Tourism, she said, should create opportunities for cultural expression while allowing communities to determine what they wish to share, how their traditions are represented and which knowledge and practices should remain protected.

Guyana’s community tourism experiences in Surama, Rewa and Yupukari demonstrate the potential of this approach, linking tourism with conservation, traditional knowledge, environmental stewardship and community participation.

Minister Browne-Shadeek said conservation and climate resilience must therefore be incorporated from the beginning of tourism planning, rather than treated as considerations after development has already taken place.

She also identified young people as critical to the future of indigenous tourism, stressing that communities must offer meaningful opportunities that allow younger generations to build their futures within their own villages.

The wider Caribbean, she said, can draw important lessons from Guyana’s experience as the region works towards tourism that is more inclusive, sustainable and regenerative.