For years, Guyanese at home and abroad have voiced frustration over the high cost of experiencing their own country as a tourism destination. Now, the government is moving to change that with a new initiative that will cap hotel rates and bundle them with flights and curated experiences into affordable travel packages.Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues on Monday confirmed that the plan is already gaining traction, with several hotels committing to a guaranteed rate ceiling of US$200 per night for Guyanese residents and those in the diaspora.“In the past, airline operators, hoteliers and tour operators have worked in silos. We are now curating a package that includes airlines, hotels, and experiences, with a guaranteed rate that will not exceed US$200 per night for Guyanese, whether resident here or from the diaspora,” Rodrigues told the News Room on the sidelines of an event.Aiden by Best Western will be among the first to implement the capped rate from 1 October 2025, pledging to make it an annual offer. Other establishments, including the Royal Hotel, are also being engaged to adopt similar measures. Rodrigues noted that many reputable hotels are already offering rates below the cap, and the ministry intends to publish a list of licensed hotels to ensure transparency.The Minister explained that while some hotels may introduce the cap seasonally, overall industry response has been positive. “There is no pushback, everybody is willing to work. Hotels are not clamouring to fill rooms; in fact, rooms are filled, which is why we need to increase our room stock. Right now, we have 15 hotels under construction,” she said.The initiative will also extend beyond accommodation, with government actively engaging airlines to fold travel fares into the package, creating a holistic option that makes visiting Guyana easier and more affordable.Rodrigues stressed that systems will be implemented to verify Guyanese abroad who wish to access the capped packages. “Aiden asked for three days to put their system in place, so if somebody is booking from the U.S. and using their U.S. passport, that they would have some record that they are Guyanese,” she explained.Public reaction has been mixed, with some praising the move as long overdue while others argue that US$200 per night is still out of reach for many locals. Nonetheless, the initiative marks the first coordinated attempt to make tourism more accessible to both residents and Guyanese overseas, even as the government works to expand the country’s room stock and tourism offerings.The post Gov’t partners with hotels and airlines to roll out capped travel packages for Guyanese and diaspora appeared first on News Room Guyana.