As guides, we all share a passion for nature, people, and professionalism.  FGASA is proud to stand with you as your professional body, ensuring that guiding is recognised, respected, and continually strengthened.

As the professional body, FGASA’s purpose is clear.  It is to protect the integrity of guiding, set professional standards, and ensure our members are recognised as some of the best guides in the world.

Guiding is more than just a job—it is a lifestyle and a profession the centres on curating experiences in nature. Your membership is an investment into your own career that enables FGASA to:

  • Develop and uphold respected qualifications.
  • Provide assessment and CPD (continual professional development) opportunities.
  • Advocate for guides across the industry, ensuring we are taken seriously as professionals.
  • Maintain the operational administrative support — FGASA staff, systems, and infrastructure that keeps the organisation running smoothly.

FGASA as a professional body ensures its members’ credibility, professional growth, recognition and trust in their professional career.

Your expertise, your knowledge, your stories, and your professionalism all carry value.

We are proud to provide a structured career pathway for guides that is aligned with the highest standards of the hospitality and tourism industry. This is why FGASA-certified guides are widely preferred across the sector. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our office-based team, who work tirelessly to ensure every member has access to professional recognition, continuous development, mentorship, and opportunities for employment with employers who value, trust, support and recognise FGASA standards.

Your membership subscription directly supports this work — from managing the administration and paperwork that guides need to operate, to developing new courses and certifications, maintaining digital systems for member records and achievements, securing international recognition through FGASA’s membership with the WFTGA, and creating platforms for members to contribute to guiding career development through regional forums and meetings.

The true value of FGASA lies in this well-defined pathway of growth and professionalism, developed alongside experienced guides and industry stakeholders, and supported by a strong network of mentors and assessors. We sincerely thank our active members for their continued support and commitment to their careers — without you, none of what we do as an association would be possible.

It is often claimed that “the goal posts keep moving.”  In truth, we are not shifting the target—we are improving the systems, processes, and standards that keep guiding credible.  Every profession evolves. Doctors must constantly refresh their knowledge. Teachers adapt to new methods of teaching.  IT specialists must keep up with new technologies and rapidly changing systems. These changes are not seen as obstacles but as essential steps to keep their professions relevant and respected.

For guiding, it is no different. New frameworks, improved assessment tools, and updated practices ensure that your skills remain valued and credible. And, as with other professions, it is the commitment of members through their fees that makes progress and growth possible.

Being a member of FGASA means being part of something larger than yourself. It is not only about certification, but about belonging to a community of like-minded people who share the same passion for guiding, conservation, and professionalism. Within this network, you are supported by peers who understand the challenges and rewards of guiding, and who are equally committed to upholding high standards.

Membership connects you to a professional body that protects, develops, and uplifts the guiding profession—but it also connects you to one another. It is this collective strength, shared pride, and common purpose that ensures guiding continues to be respected, recognised, and celebrated as a profession. In the end, the value of your profession is only as strong as the commitment you make to it.