Comparison with Suriname and Venezuela

The Caribbean-South American "eastern triangle" - Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela - shows contrasting development trajectories. It is important for investors, developers and operators of the hospitality and regulated entertainment industries (including iGaming) to understand the differences in macroeconomics, institutions, logistics and cultural codes.

1) Short profile

Guyana: the English-speaking Commonwealth country, sparsely populated, with rapidly growing investments in infrastructure and services, relies on nature tourism and business traffic.

Suriname: Dutch heritage, multilingual environment (Dutch/Sranan Tongo/English), compact market, ecotourism and offshore energy potential, but limited infrastructure and capital capacity of projects.

Venezuela: the largest market of the three by population, significant resource potential and a rich cultural scene, but a vulnerable institutional environment, currency and regulatory restrictions, heterogeneous tourist infrastructure.

2) Macroeconomics and business climate

Guyana gets the effect of a "new cycle" of investment: an emphasis on basic infrastructure, more transparent rules for foreign capital, an understandable jurisdiction of the Anglo-legal tradition.

Suriname is balancing the need for investment with fiscal constraints; projects are targeted and slow, flexible structuring of transactions (PPP, phased CAPEX) is required.

Venezuela maintains high potential demand, but its implementation depends on the predictability of the regulatory agenda and the availability of financial settlements; project risks require profitability premiums and insurance mechanisms.

3) Tourism and infrastructure

Guyana: vector for ecotourism, expedition routes, niche MICE. Airport and road infrastructure is improving, improving connectivity of domestic routes and accessibility of national parks.

Suriname: strong cultural-historical layer of Paramaribo and rivers/jungle as "anchors" of the product. Bottlenecks - limited number of rooms in the upper segment, transport logistics in the outback.

Venezuela: outstanding natural locations (up to the world famous waterfalls and the Andes), but the heterogeneity of service and issues of safety/accessibility of routes hold back a stable flow tourist product in the middle segment.

4) Regulating entertainment and iGaming

Guyana: formalization and compliance course - licensing, basic AML/KYC requirements, responsible play vector and operator audit. Plus, English-language documentation facilitates the entry of international providers.

Suriname: compact market, point regulation; sustainability of projects - due to integration with hotel complexes and event part. We need predictable rules and uniform reporting standards.

Venezuela: "mass" potential with high regulatory volatility; projects require in-depth legal training, structures with local partners and increased attention to compliance with rules and advertising restrictions.

5) Payment systems and fintech

Guyana: growing integration with international payment rails, gradual digitalization; emphasis on transparency of calculations and reporting.

Suriname: limited choice of payment solutions and currency gateways, higher compliance costs; "hybrid" models (prepayment/vouchers/local aggregators) are often useful.

Venezuela: high cross-exchange rate sensitivity and the role of alternative forms of calculation; the stability of cash flow depends on a competent currency strategy and local partnerships.

6) Taxes and fiscal burden (in general)

Guyana: bet on "white" chains and predictability of fiscal revenues; clear framework for reporting, which reduces the regulatory premium to profitability.

Suriname: case-by-case agreements and preferential regimes for individual projects; it is important for the investor to fix the conditions in long-term agreements.

Venezuela: patchy environment with possible benefits/exemptions and administrative burden; the stabilization clause in the contracts is critical.

7) Human resources, training and social inclusion

Guyana: Skills shortages are addressed by training programmes (HoReCa, guides, IT and data security). High returns from corporate academies and dual training.

Suriname: strong multicultural base and multilingualism; internal apskіllinga programs for international network standards are useful.

Venezuela: a large personnel pool, but systemic retraining and standardization of service, as well as mechanics of staff retention are required.

8) Risks and compliance

Guyana: the main risks are environmental burden and logistics in remote regions; are solved by quotas of attendance, "green" standards and phased commissioning of capacities.

Suriname: investment fragmentation and fiscal constraints; CAPEX modular planning and construction and installation insurance helps to reduce risks.

Venezuela: regulatory volatility, currency restrictions and security issues; compliance roadmaps, legal protection echelon, liquidity stress testing are critical.

9) Availability and Logistics

Guyana: improving flights and road network support the link "urban hub - natural locations."

Suriname: betting on Paramaribo as a single entry point; for the hinterland - river routes and small aircraft.

Venezuela: rich geography with patchy accessibility; designing tourist products around "safety corridors" and proven transportation providers.

10) Cultural-language factor and marketing

Guyana: English-speaking environment, Caribbean identity, international marketing is easier.

Suriname: a unique mix of cultures, interesting gastronomy and heritage - strong storytelling in premium ecotourism.

Venezuela: a Spanish-language mega-market with strong visual and event formats - subject to building trust and partner channels.

11) Comparison matrix (brief)

Predictability of rules: Guyana - higher; Suriname is medium; Venezuela - low/volatile.

Infrastructure readiness for ecotourism: Guyana - growing; Suriname is niche; Venezuela is a strong natural asset but a patchy accessibility.

Speed of approvals: Guyana - moderately fast; Suriname - longer due to limited resources; Venezuela is unpredictable.

ESG focus: Guyana is a high priority; Suriname - point initiatives; Venezuela is project-dependent.

iGaming/hotel entertainment potential: Guyana - growing with a focus on compliance; Suriname - niche complexes; Venezuela is a high potential mass with increased risks.

12) What it means for operators and investors

Strategy for Guyana: mixed-use complexes (hotel + gastronomy + cultural shows + family activities + responsible entertainment area), phased CAPEX, localization of supplies, emphasis on ESG and personnel training.

Strategy for Suriname: boutique eco-tourism and premium ecotourism with high margins, reinvestment in logistics and training, long agreements with the state.

Strategy for Venezuela: partner model with a strong local player, legal "armor" of contracts, scenario planning of foreign exchange payments, start with pilot/closed formats, focus on security and reputation.

13) Withdrawal

Guyana wins by the predictability of the rules, the English-speaking environment and the synergy of ecotourism with business flow. Suriname is a niche premium player with a vibrant cultural identity and eco-focus, but limited infrastructure. Venezuela has the largest demand potential, but requires maximum compliance discipline, legal structuring and attention to logistics and security. For the 2025-2030 portfolio, the rational bundle is Guyana as the basic "anchor" of growth, Suriname as a premium niche, Venezuela as an option for scale with tight risk management.