Guatemala Becoming an Outsourcing Destination of Choice
Guatemala is the subject of attention of the outsourcing sector’s international players after it emerged that the companies are evaluating the option of Contact Center and BPO investment in Guatemala. This information was provided by the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport), whose sources cited in the news have revealed that two firms, IGT Solutions and TSI, are eyeing a capital commitment of US$5 million to US$10 million to set up or expand operations in the Central American nation.
IGT and TSI Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala
Contact center and BPO treasurer Rodrigo de León detailed that, in his organization’s view, businesses in this segment deploy a multimillion-dollar investment when trying to break into the region or expand their footprint. With both companies in the running, Guatemala has solidified its presence in the global contact center and BPO market.
Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala City is on the Agenda
Karla Bolaños, Director of the Office for Productive Investment Support and Competitiveness of the Municipality of Guatemala, shared that the City has 12 firms in the pipeline. “There are also three companies in the Contact Center and BPO area, two of them from the United States and one from India,” she said, confirming that Guatemala is set to host players from a wide range of countries.
The potential contact center and BPO investment in Guatemala is likely to benefit from the activity registered in other segments and will complement the gains that other sectors have been recording in the local market. The Central American country is picking up steam in its mission to host high-added-value services. This is the result of joint actions between public and private agencies, FDI entering the country, and local promotion efforts.
IGT Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala Revenue Data
Guatemala’s contact center and BPO investment is yielding tangible results, as this segment of services was the source of US$737 million in foreign currency earnings in 2024. To date, between January and the end of May 2025, it has already secured US$295 million, according to De León. The growth in investment in the contact center and BPO industry, which currently stands at 3% year-on-year, does not match global expansion, which De León points out has the potential to grow by between 8% and 10%.
On the other hand, when asked about Guatemala’s rate of growth in the future, the official projected that it will match global and regional trends. “Projections for Guatemala in the medium and long term are not different from what is projected for the rest of the world. In Latin America, there is a very high demand for nearshoring and outsourcing,” said De León.
IGT Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala
About IGT
IGT Solutions is a company dedicated to global customer experience management and delivery, using a combination of support channels: chat, phone, and e-mail, as stated on the company’s official website. The services offered by the business include digital customer experience transformation and data analytics, among others.
As IGT Solutions is considering a Contact Center and BPO investment in Guatemala, the firm seeks to expand its offer of cost-effective, multilingual, and scalable services for its clients.
TSI Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala Overview
TSI is a firm focused on nearstaffing, which means that it works with regional outsourcing talent located near the client, that is, Central America. The company has operations in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, and it has set its sights on Guatemala as the logical extension to develop more services and means of delivery in the region. TSI’s approach allows clients to not only cut their overheads but also to enjoy proximity to the time zone and a cultural affinity with local agents in a 24/7 economy.
TSI contact center and BPO Investment in Guatemala also benefit from the fact that it is part of a trend that is growing every year, according to the analysis of the sector’s requirements.
Reasons for Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala
Contact center and BPO investment in Guatemala is fueled by the global nearshoring demand. Nearshoring, as de León detailed, is about companies, mainly from North America, outsourcing their services to nearby nations in a way that is akin to hiring staff, but from a less costly location that is also close in terms of culture and, most importantly, time zones.
De León also said that there was a special interest in Guatemala as a destination for contact center and BPO investment from the United States, Canada, and Spain. He explained that, alongside the rush of external players to enter or expand in Guatemala, there were also local efforts to boost the sector, including the creation of investment groups to develop infrastructure and capabilities.
Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala City: Zones of Special Interest
The primary benefit for BPO and contact centers when choosing where to invest is provided by urban planning and logistics infrastructure. Karla Bolaños has identified five zones as ideal for development: 13, 10, 9, 4, and 12 of Guatemala City. These areas are ideal because they provide:
- Proximity to public transport, for the ease of mobility of workers.
- Commercial and service availability
- Advanced connectivity
- A pool of skilled workers
Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala: Key Areas
Guatemala is developing the following areas of specialization, as the country matures:
- Multichannel support.
De León emphasized that the country is specializing in the multichannel customer experience, particularly in the English-to-Spanish segment. It is not just about voice services but also about offering support through chat, social media platforms, or SMS. This specialization in English is very relevant for serving North American markets and more global audiences.
- Banking and BPO industry’s back-office services.
The segment has also specialized in providing financial services and BPO industry’s back-office operations, such as:
- Market comparison research
- Procurement services
- Logistics and supply management
- Banking data processing, data administration, and the use of RPA
Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala: Tech Edge
As previously said, Guatemala is also trending in technology-driven services, including automating business operations and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to provide even more value-added solutions. “Business processes are being automated and will be automated with more and more voice analytics and artificial intelligence tools to become more agile and to have better quality, lower costs, and greater satisfaction with clients,” said De León. Bolaños also pointed to a growing specialization in areas such as software development, IT services, digital training, and data analytics.
Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala: Sectors Leading Demand
According to De León, when the BPO industry is reviewing possible Contact Center and BPO investment in Guatemala, these are the segments that are more actively seeking to outsource their services and specialize their operations with an external workforce.
- Retail, in other words, there is a strong interest in outsourcing from multinational brands.
- Fintech, since the industry is booming, needs this kind of support.
- Hospitality and health care are sectors that are in expansion and are looking for ways to operate more efficiently.
Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala: Challenges
As it is with all FDI, contact center and BPO investment in Guatemala is not without its share of potential problem areas. The main difficulties for the market’s expansion are:
- English proficiency gap. In this respect, De León pointed to the lack of English-speaking workers as the main issue. As he said, Guatemala has lost some business to Mexico and Colombia, where it has been much easier to source bilingual staff for voice support. This remains one of the absolute conditions for BPO work, as it is the primary requirement for outsourcing contact center services.
- Workers’ skills mismatch. Although it was earlier noted that there is a sufficient pool of workers, for the skills and talent to be of high quality, they need to be complemented by solid digital and technological skills. For Bolaños, the ideal employee profile to be able to carry out the kind of work required is:
- Age from 18 to 30
- Intermediate and advanced levels of English
- Advanced digital skills
- Orientation in customer service
- Soft skills, such as communication, adaptability, and others
Workforce development is a task on the agenda, so that Guatemala can keep pace with the development of world markets and attract more advanced services.
Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala: The Municipality’s Involvement
The Municipality of Guatemala is also gearing up to promote the city as a destination for BPO and contact center services. Karla Bolaños presented a short guide for how the capital of Guatemala is approaching this task:
- Actively promoting Guatemala in international trade shows, investment forums, and other FDI-related events
- Sending delegations and participating in investment missions, trade fairs
- Working with Guatemala’s embassies, binational chambers, and multilateral organizations
These measures indicate that Guatemala City is primed to complement the national strategy focused on nearshoring that was earlier presented by Agexport and Rodrigo de León, related to Contact Center and BPO investment in Guatemala.
Conclusion: Prospects for Contact Center and BPO Investment in Guatemala
Considering the industry giants already eyeing the country, Contact Center and BPO investment in Guatemala is poised to attract even more players that have been seeking the right Central American country to enter. With a solid foundation in place and a specialization that is becoming more evident, Guatemala has begun to show its potential strengths in the field and is likely to bring in a growing share of FDI that will enable it to advance faster than the industry’s average growth.