Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues, joined the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) in recognising 19 tourism professionals who have strengthened their skills through specialised bird guide training.
A total of 12 guides completed the first phase of the Coastal Bird Guide Certification, while seven Rupununi-based guides completed the Bird Guide Accreditation Programme and received their local bird guide accreditation.
“We quickly recognised that while you can become licensed, we must be able to distinguish guides that are not only licensed, but those that have a specialisation. And given the importance of birding as a niche in Guyana, we conceptualised that we should have a specific accreditation programme for bird guides.”
Guyana is home to more than 800 identified bird species, creating significant potential for birding to grow as a specialised tourism experience while generating opportunities for communities and tourism professionals.
The programme was developed through collaboration between the Guyana Tourism Authority and South Rupununi Conservation Society, with technical expertise from SRCS supporting the development of the training modules and the GTA providing project oversight and management.
Source: INews Guyana
