• The Benin government adopted a decree establishing a regulatory framework for the tourist guide profession, defining access conditions, rights, and obligations.
• The measure aims to professionalize actors and enhance the quality of services to increase Benin's tourism competitiveness.
• The regulation supports the government’s ambition to raise the tourism sector's contribution to national GDP from 6% to 13.4% by 2030.

As Benin enhances its appeal on the global tourism stage, authorities continue structuring the sector to guarantee professional standards commensurate with their economic and cultural ambitions. The Beninese government, convened in a Council of Ministers on Wednesday, October 29, adopted Decree No. 2023‑492 of September 26, 2023, establishing the framework for the practice of the tourist guide profession.

According to the official communiqué, this text defines guides' conditions of access, rights, and obligations, whether they work in the cultural or natural domains. Specifically, the decree provides for the issuance of a professional card and the classification of guides based on their scope of intervention: local, national, or community. This initiative marks a new stage in structuring the sector as the country consolidates its image as a rising tourist destination.

The decree establishes administrative and technical supervision of the profession, entrusted to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Arts. Candidates must demonstrate recognized training and a level of competence aligned with national standards. The measure aims to harmonize practices and reinforce the quality of services at tourist sites, in natural parks, and cultural circuits. It forms part of the implementation of the 2025–2029 Strategic Development Plan for the sector, adopted last June with a budget of CFA797.17 billion (approximately $1.4 billion).

For authorities, regulating the tourist guide profession meets a double objective: professionalizing the actors and increasing the competitiveness of Beninese tourism. The government aims to raise the sector's contribution to national GDP from 6% currently to 13.4% by 2030. The American media outlet AFAR ranking the country among the 25 best destinations to visit in 2025 confirms the international attractiveness potential. The adoption of this decree occurs within a context of tourism, culture, and arts gaining momentum as drivers of sustainable development in the Republic of Benin. It reflects the country's determination to transition from recognized potential to a mastered and valued experience.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum