Guyana Joins Paraguay, Suriname in South America’s Tourism Gap

New tourism figures for 2024 show that Guyana, Paraguay and Suriname remain among South America’s least visited countries, yet a closer look at their recent performance and assets points to an underreported story of rising arrivals, shifting perceptions and significant untapped potential.

Shocking Numbers Behind South America’s Quiet Corners

In a region anchored in public imagination by destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Machu Picchu and Patagonia, the northern and central interior of the continent tells a different story. Guyana, Paraguay and Suriname consistently sit at the bottom of regional league tables for international arrivals, even as other South American destinations move back toward, or beyond, pre‑pandemic tourism volumes.

Publicly available statistics compiled from national tourism offices and multilateral agencies continue to list these three countries among South America’s least visited. While methodologies differ, the pattern is clear: they attract a fraction of the visitors seen in coastal or Andean destinations. Their low profiles persist despite relative political stability and, in Guyana’s case, one of the fastest‑growing economies in the world.

Recent data underline the scale of the gap. Estimates compiled from official releases suggest Paraguay received around 2.2 million international visitors in 2024, while Guyana recorded approximately 482,000 tourist arrivals, both well below the tens of millions of visitors registered in Latin America’s top tourism markets. Comparable figures for Suriname remain modest and are often grouped within broader Caribbean or South American totals, reinforcing its status as a statistical outlier.

These headline numbers are now attracting greater attention from airlines, investors and regional planners, who see a rare combination of low baseline tourism and high growth potential. For travelers, they also highlight a shrinking shortlist of destinations in South America where crowds remain the exception rather than the rule.

Guyana’s Oil Boom Meets Rainforest Tourism

Guyana has drawn global headlines in recent years for large offshore oil discoveries that transformed its macroeconomic outlook. Less discussed is how this economic shift is starting to intersect with tourism. According to data compiled by Trading Economics from official sources, tourist arrivals in Guyana rose from about 409,000 in 2023 to roughly 482,500 in 2024, the highest level in the country’s records.

Despite that double‑digit growth, Guyana still ranks near the bottom of South American tourism tables in absolute terms. Much of the current inflow is linked to business travel, oil and gas services and diaspora visits. Leisure tourism remains in its infancy, even as the country markets itself as a gateway to intact Amazonian rainforest, dramatic waterfalls and community‑run eco‑lodges.

Travel advisories and guidebook coverage note that large tracts of Guyana are sparsely populated and accessible only by river or small plane, factors that both limit mass tourism and preserve a sense of frontier exploration. Infrastructure outside the capital Georgetown and a handful of interior hubs remains thin, and transport costs are high compared with more established South American circuits.

Government strategies and international development programs now routinely cite tourism as a diversification priority alongside energy. Plans referenced in public documents focus on small‑scale nature, culture and adventure products in the Rupununi savannahs and rainforest interior, positioning Guyana as a long‑haul destination for niche markets rather than a mass‑market beach escape.

Paraguay: From Transit Country to Emerging Stopover

Paraguay has long been described in travel media as South America’s “in‑between” country, crossed by regional road and river traffic but rarely chosen as a primary destination. Historical UN tourism rankings and regional reporting placed it among the lowest recipients of international tourists on the continent, sharing that unflattering bracket with Guyana and Suriname.

More recent figures, however, suggest a quiet shift. A 2024 statistical report publicized by Paraguay’s National Tourism Secretariat indicated that just over 2.2 million international visitors entered the country in 2024, including both overnight tourists and day‑trippers. Independent data platforms that compile official sources show inbound tourism arrivals rising for at least three consecutive years, signaling recovery from the pandemic downturn and the gradual conversion of transit flows into intentional visits.

Even with that rebound, Paraguay’s tourism economy remains modest when measured against its neighbors. Employment and export‑earnings data show tourism still accounts for a comparatively small share of national income. Yet the growth curve has drawn attention from regional analysts, who point to improved air links, the pull of cross‑border shopping and the promotion of cultural assets such as Jesuit mission ruins and the bilingual Guaraní‑Spanish heritage.

For travelers, Paraguay’s appeal often lies in its ordinariness relative to South America’s marquee sights: low visitor numbers at historic sites, riverfront cities that feel largely untouched by mass tourism and rural estancias that cater primarily to domestic and regional guests. Industry observers argue that if the country can maintain this character while upgrading services, its long‑standing status as one of the continent’s least visited destinations may begin to shift.

Suriname’s Caribbean Identity and Data Blind Spot

Suriname occupies a distinctive place on the South American map. Culturally and linguistically, it is frequently grouped with the Caribbean rather than the Hispanic or Portuguese‑speaking south. This categorization has practical consequences: tourism statistics for Suriname are often bundled into Caribbean regional summaries or broader “other Americas” totals, leaving the country largely invisible in South America‑specific rankings.

Available data from regional tourism organizations and national releases confirm that Suriname hosts far fewer visitors than the continent’s larger destinations, although precise recent counts are harder to track than those for Guyana or Paraguay. Travel industry coverage routinely describes it as one of South America’s least visited countries, a characterization that aligns with anecdotal reports from tour operators and travelers who note an absence of large groups and package tours.

Suriname’s tourism offer centers on dense rainforest, river expeditions, Indigenous and Maroon communities and a capital, Paramaribo, known for its mix of Dutch colonial and tropical architecture. Limited air connectivity, relatively high travel costs from major source markets and low international visibility all weigh on visitor numbers, even as the country is frequently highlighted in “underrated destinations” features.

Regional development discussions increasingly reference Suriname alongside Guyana in the context of new energy discoveries and cross‑border infrastructure. If those projects proceed as planned, observers expect improved connectivity and investment in hospitality, though some environmental groups warn that poorly managed growth could put pressure on the very ecosystems that attract visitors.

Untapped Potential and the Risks of Being “Next”

What unites Guyana, Paraguay and Suriname is not only their current position near the bottom of South American arrival tables, but also the scale of unused tourism capacity. All three possess extensive river systems, relatively low population densities and cultural profiles that differ markedly from the continent’s coastal mass‑market hubs.

Industry analysts note that these characteristics could appeal to a growing segment of travelers seeking lower‑density, nature‑focused experiences in the wake of the pandemic. At the same time, they caution that rapid, unmanaged growth could replicate the very issues that have driven overtourism debates elsewhere, from pressure on fragile ecosystems to abrupt changes in local property markets.

Publicly available planning documents in each country emphasize sustainable tourism, community participation and heritage protection as guiding principles. Implementation remains uneven, and capacity constraints in remote regions are significant. Yet the combination of rising arrival numbers, new energy and infrastructure projects and growing niche interest suggests that South America’s least visited countries may not stay under the radar indefinitely.

For now, travelers who do make the journey in 2026 will find three nations at an inflection point: still statistically marginal within regional tourism, but increasingly central to conversations about how South America might diversify its visitor map beyond its best‑known icons.