[2] Mark Ellwood, contributing editor for Conde Nast Traveler, has suggested thinking of Guyana "as a bonus Caribbean country" in terms of its cultural history even though it is physically part of South America.
[3] The primary draw for tourists from abroad is Guyana's Amazon Rainforest, considered one of the most pristine, untouched forests in the world.
[12] COVID-19 severely damaged the economies of the tourism-dependent Caribbean countries, but Guyana, like Trinidad and Tobago, continues to grow due to oil production.
[14] After independence, Guyana's national policies were focused on self-reliance; President Forbes Burnham called the tourism industry "parasitic" and detrimental to social development, in contrast to its Caribbean neighbors.
Recent focus has on improving safety standards, the visitor experience and enabling all tourism businesses to become licensed.