Madagascar Resumes Professional Cards for Tour Guides: What It Means for Your Trip

Antananarivo, 28 October 2026. Madagascar has resumed issuing professional badges, cards and approvals to tour guides. The procedure had been interrupted since 2019. From now on, guides will have to pass a skills assessment before receiving them.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Lucie Vololoniaina Rafaralahy, at a ceremony in Antananarivo devoted to professional qualifications in tourism, as reported by L'Express de Madagascar.

What was announced

• Professional cards for guides are back, after an interruption since 2019.
• A skills assessment now comes first: candidates must prove they are able to do the job.
• Diplomas were awarded to national tour guides through the recognition of prior experience (VAE).
• New training references were handed over for two professions: package tour agent and ecotourism service manager.

The programme brings together the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts and the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training, with the support of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

Why it matters for travellers

A good guide makes the trip: they find the lemurs in the forest, explain the customs of each region, choose the right moment for a hike and keep you safe. A recognised card helps tell a trained professional from someone improvising.

It also answers a real concern. In its travel advice updated on 9 October 2026, the Government of Canada warns that people posing as guides have committed thefts and assaults, especially on beaches.

How to recognise a genuine guide

• Ask to see the professional card or badge. A genuine guide will show it without hesitation.
• In national parks, visits are made with the park's local guides, booked at the park entrance. Do not follow someone who offers a visit outside the official entrance.
• Book through a registered tour operator rather than with someone met at the airport or on the beach.
• Agree on the programme and the price in writing before you leave.

Travelling with Tsiky Tour Madagascar

Tsiky Tour Madagascar has been organising tours since 2007 and is a member of TOP Madagascar, the tour operators' association. Our manager has worked as a tour guide since 2001. On our tours:

• you travel with an experienced English- or French-speaking guide (guides in 8 languages, availability confirmed with your quote);
• in each national park, you are accompanied by the park's licensed local guides, whose fees are included in the price;
• our team stays reachable 24/7 during your trip.

Would you like to discover Madagascar with guides who know their job? See our tours or ask us for a tailor-made itinerary: we reply within 2 hours.

Source: L'Express de Madagascar, « Professionnalisation – Les guides touristiques mis à l'épreuve », 28 October 2026.