I’m planning our Explorer Partnership (E/P) trip to Guyana right now and it’s turning out to be a huge pain in the ass. Of all the places we’ve traveled to in the past, this trip may be the most difficult… and that’s why I’m even more bullish on Guyana.
I’ve already explained multiple times (here, here, and here) why Guyana is very interesting right now. In addition to the country being the fastest growing economy in the world, it may also become a strategic energy ally for the United States. And that’s not even considering that Guyana may turn into the wealthiest country in the world, on a per-capita basis.
So, it’s not hard to see why there could be some amazing business and investing opportunities in this English-speaking South American nation. Just like many countries in the Middle East, oil and gas reserves can turn an entire country into an economic powerhouse.
For entrepreneurs and investors, Guyana is the perfect setup… that is, if you can get there…
Barriers to Entry Create Opportunity
As I said, planning this E/P trip has been very difficult. It seems that every little detail that you can think of has been a challenge.
For starters, there are only a handful of airlines that even fly to Guyana. And, of those airlines, they only fly out of two US cities (NYC and Miami). Making it even worse, there are only select days that those flights are running, and the flight schedules are horrible.
Then, when it comes to hotels in Georgetown (the capital of Guyana), options are just as limiting. You can stay at the Marriott, which has an effective monopoly on the local hotel scene, for close to $1,000 per night… or… you can choose a random private hotel that doesn’t even have online booking capabilities.
For our E/P trip, we are hosting a dinner at a historical hotel where US presidents and UK roylaty have stayed. But, in order to confirm reservations, I had to wire money to a Guyanese bank. They don’t take credit card or any other kind of digital payment. (And, if you ever try to wire money to Guyana, let me tell you that US banks will give you the full bend-over interview before granting your request.)
Anyway, this is all to say that there are huge barriers to entry to even visit this country. Doing business or making an investment is going to be even more difficult. And that is fantastic news for anybody who understands what this does to your competition.
This is a similar concept that I recently wrote two separate article about: “Going Where Others Won’t” and “Taking Action is the Hardest Part – Panama to Crypto”
Beaten Paths Yield Average Returns
The most difficult E/P trips I’ve planned were in China and Ukraine. In Ukraine, we arranged a variety of different tours, dinners, and special speakers. In China, we had to do multiple border crossings with a large group of people that had passports from a dozen different nations. (Let’s just say that everyone on the trip eventually got to experience a back room interrogation by Chinese border agents!)
Looking back, those trips were literally once-in-a-lifetime experiences for everyone. Geopolitics and world affairs have changed so much that there is zero chance we cold replicate those adventrues today.
When it comes to Guyana, I have no doubt that five years from now things will be extremely different. It’s very possible that Georgetown will become much more developed, with many multi-national corporations (and foriegn governments) setting up shop in the city.
Currently, Guyana is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. So the probability of an influx of immigrants is highly likely. Housing, transportation, and general infrastructure will all be in demand.
And that’s why we’re going there. To see firsthand what kind of opportunties are available, before the money and masses invade.
