Trust & Safety
DRC Tourism only lists tour operators that pass a five-point vetting standard: valid ONT licence, at least USD 1M liability insurance, certified guides, a clean three-year safety record, and a documented community-benefit commitment. Every operator is re-audited each year and can be booked directly or through our free matching service.
Valid ONT tourism licence, tax registration (RCCM + NIF), and provincial operating permits. We keep copies on file and re-check annually.
Minimum USD 1M public liability, plus proof of medical-evacuation cover or a partnership with AMREF Flying Doctors / SOS International.
ICCN accreditation for all park-based guides (gorilla, bonobo, okapi, chimpanzee). First-aid certified drivers and English + French language competency.
Three-year clean incident history, or full transparent disclosure of any past incident with resolution documented. We do not carry operators with unresolved traveller complaints.
Documented community-benefit commitment, no wildlife-handling operators, no unauthorised access to sacred sites, fair guide wages, and adherence to the DRC Tourism Code of Ethics.
We do not publish company names here to protect operators from cold-call solicitation. Request a matched introduction and we will send you the verified operators most relevant to your itinerary within one business day.
ICCN-licensed for Bukima and Bikenge sectors, armed ranger escort included.
Eastern lowland gorilla specialists based in Bukavu and Tshivanga.
Lola ya Bonobo and Salonga National Park access, ICCN + Friends of Bonobos accredited.
Kinshasa–Mbandaka and Kisangani river journey specialists with multi-day riverboat charters.
Virunga-authorised summit trek operators with porter and overnight cabin logistics.
Kolwezi and Lubumbashi cultural-industrial heritage operators cleared for mining-site access.
Garamba National Park premium safari operators with African Parks coordination.
Boma, Matadi and diaspora-heritage circuit specialists, Kikongo-speaking guides.
Tell us the itinerary you have in mind. We will introduce you to the two or three verified operators best suited to your trip. No fee, no obligation.
See our B2B Operator programme and Local Guides directory for related services.
A legitimate DRC operator holds a valid ONT (Office National du Tourisme) licence, carries liability insurance covering international guests, employs guides with recognised certifications (ICCN park permits for national parks, IATA-affiliated logistics), and can provide references from past international clients. DRC Tourism verifies every partner against these criteria before listing.
Our four-step vetting covers documentation review (business licence, insurance certificates, ICCN accreditation where relevant), guide credential verification, safety-record audit including any incident history for the last three years, and a community-benefit and ethics interview. Operators are re-audited annually.
Yes. Every verified operator carries minimum public liability insurance of USD 1,000,000 and provides on-trip evacuation coverage or partners with a medical evacuation provider such as AMREF or SOS International. We ask for proof each year.
You can do either. DRC Tourism can match you with the right operator for your itinerary, or you can request direct contact and book with them independently. We do not charge travellers a booking fee for verified-operator introductions.
Verified operators agree to our escalation protocol: 24-hour response window, in-country liaison support from DRC Tourism, and if a serious safety, refund or misconduct issue cannot be resolved directly, we mediate and can suspend the operator from our verified list.
Yes for national-park guides. ICCN-licensed trackers for gorilla, bonobo and okapi encounters are verified individually against ICCN's active roster. Independent city and cultural guides listed in our Local Guides directory undergo a separate personal-reference check.
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