Accreditation scheme introduced to boost professional bird-watching services

An official Bird Guide Accreditation Programme has been launched, establishing the first national system to certify bird-watching guides and standardise professional requirements across the sector. The initiative is led by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry & Commerce in partnership with the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS).

The programme introduces a structured accreditation mechanism with three certification tiers — Local Bird Guide, Regional Bird Guide and National Bird Guide — aimed at improving guiding standards, ensuring technical competence and supporting the growth of avitourism.

Officials said the accreditation framework and training modules have been completed, and a pilot phase is under way. The first round of training was held in the Rupununi in August 2025, with a second phase scheduled for January 2026. The region was selected for initial rollout due to its established community tourism operations and high diversity of bird species.

Authorities said the system is designed to strengthen workforce development by clearly defining expectations for guiding roles and providing a transparent method for assessing skills such as species identification, fieldcraft, safety practices and visitor management. The initiative is also expected to support job creation in areas where bird-watching activity is increasing, formalising existing expertise within Indigenous and rural communities.

Tourism planners have identified bird-watching as a high-value niche with strong growth potential. With accreditation now in place, they said the sector will operate under defined standards for the first time, giving tour operators and travellers a consistent benchmark for evaluating guide qualifications.

Accreditation will continue on a rolling basis as more guides complete training and assessment. As implementation progresses into 2026, the programme is expected to bolster nature-based tourism and enhance service quality in emerging destinations.

At the launch, GTA and SRCS named the first accredited guides. National Bird Guide accreditation was awarded to Ron Allicock, Wally Price and Leon Moore. Regional Bird Guide accreditation went to Kenneth Butler, Asaph Wilson, Jeremy Melville, Leroy Ignacio, Ashley Holland, John Christian, Pooran Ragnauth, Gary Sway and Neil Allicock. Local Bird Guide accreditation was granted to Kenneth Mandook.