Save the Date & Book Now for the FEG AGM 2025 in Sweden! โจ๏ธ
Weโre thrilled to invite all FEG members to the 24th European Tourist Guide Meeting & Delegates Annual General Meeting, taking place in Sweden from 24 to 30 November 2025 and hosted by our member SveGuide Theme: Magic Sweden โ From Royal Streets to Rustic Retreats Discover the elegant royal atmosphere of #Stockholm, followed by the […]
WFTGA at Interpret Europe 2025 Conference โ Sharing Expertise, Embracing New Perspectives
Fromย 11โ14 April 2025, Viola Lewis, Susanne Kirchberger and Mateusz Tomaszczyk – three WFTGA trainers proudly represented our global guiding community at the Interpret Europe Conferenceย in Sulejรณwek, Poland. Set in the inspiring surroundings of the Muzeum Jรณzefa Piลsudskiego, the conference welcomed over 100 delegates from 25 countries to explore this yearโs compelling theme: โHeroes, anti-heroes, and […]
WFTGA Engages at ICCA Association Readiness Lab in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. | April 9, 2025 โ The World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) proudly participated in the ICCA Association Readiness Lab: Navigating Disruption in Unpredictable Times, a dynamic and interactive workshop focused on preparing associations for current and future challenges in an evolving global landscape. Representing WFTGA at the event was Maricar Donato, […]
NEW: Global Networking Forum for Tourist Guides
Launching this April and running through November 2025, we are proud to introduce the Global Networking Forum for Tourist Guides. Hosted by the WFTGA Area Representatives, this new series will offer a dynamic space for continued dialogue, shared learning, and professional growth. Each month, guides from around the world will come together to: Identify emerging […]
Airbnb calls for Experience submissions from WFTGA
Weโre excited to share that Airbnb is calling for submissionsโwith powerful features designed to help top-tier operators, hosts, and guides grow their businesses more easily than ever. We think youโll be a great fit and would love for you to submit your experiences to the platform.ย Hereโs what you need to know: Easier Listing Creation: […]
Celebrating Ruby Roy: A Lifetime of Dedication and Recognition
The World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) is proud to celebrate Ruby Roy, who served as our President from 2003 to 2007. To this day, Ruby remains a valued member of our community, always offering her guidance, support, and expertise to WFTGA whenever needed. We are especially delighted to share the wonderful news that […]
Join the Global Movement: Become a WFTGA Area Representative!
Are you passionate about guiding and eager to make a lasting impact on the global tourism community? The World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) is calling on dedicated professionals like YOU to step forward as anย Area Representativeย and help shape the future of our industry! Why Volunteer? As an Area Representative, you become a vital […]
Korฤula Tourist Guide Association Hosts Croatian Tourist Guide Associationโs General Assembly
The Korฤula Tourist Guides Association, a proud member of the Croatian Tourist Guide Association (CTGA), recently welcomed fellow guides to Korฤula Town for the CTGA General Assembly, held on 8โ9 March 2025. The event showcased Korฤulaโs rich history, cultural heritage, and unique traditions, including the famous Moreลกka and Kumpanija/Moลกtra sword dances. Delegates explored the islandโs […]
Empowering Guides in a Changing World: The Latest Innovations from Vox Group
The world of guiding is evolving, and so are the expectations of todayโs tech-savvy travellers. As visitor needs shift towards seamless, multilingual, and interactive experiences, guides remain at the heart of this transformation. At Vox Group, we are committed to ensuring that technology supports, rather than replaces, the guideโs roleโenhancing communication, improving group management, and […]
A Meaningful Encounter in Singapore: Learning from May Hui
Whenever I travel, I make it a point to meet with fellow tourist guides over a coffee to exchange insights about our profession as well as about training. In Singapore, I had the privilege of joining WFTGA trainer May Hui on one of her ยซย trainingย ยป ย walking tours for Tourist Guides โan experience that left a […]
International Tourist Guide Day 2025: Tourist Guides as Peace Ambassadors
Every year on 21st February, tourist guides around the world come together to celebrate International Tourist Guide Day (ITGD), honouring their profession and its vital role in society. The 2025 theme, โTourist Guides as Peace Ambassadors,โ highlights the unique contribution of guides in fostering understanding, inclusion, and harmony among cultures. โAs tourist guides, we donโt […]
Training Without Borders: Tourist Guides as a Bridge Between Cultures
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia โ In a time when borders are being reinforced and differences are often used to divide, Tourist Guides play a crucial role in fostering connections, explaining cultures, and promoting mutual understanding. However, this responsibility requires much more than just local knowledgeโit demands excellent guiding skills, intercultural competence, conflict management abilities, and the […]
Online links
Dear online participant of the WFTGA Trainer Convention, We are delighted you will join us online for the hybrid events of our WFTGA Trainer Convention in Sabah, Malaysia. Please refer to the programme WFTGA Trainer Convention 2025 for the details of the hybrid sessions. In addition to the earlier advertised sessions, we have added […]
WFTGA Convention 2026 Japan | NEWSLETTER 3
My name is Sam and I am the Chairman of the Fukuoka Host Committee for 21st WFTGAย Convention in 2026.ย We recently hosted President Sebastian and Head of Trainingย Viola from WFTGA for the site inspection visit.ย We visited many tourist places in Fukuoka and we are satisfied with the progression of the convention planning.ย ย
3rd up-date for in-person participants
Dear in-person participants of the WFTGA Trainer Convention in Sabah, Here comes the third up-date on our up-coming Trainer Convention. For those of you, who have just registered, please scroll down to see the earlier e-mails. Thank you for sending your arrival times / flight itineraries to the organisers. If you havenโt done so, please […]
The Future of Guiding: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming the Profession
On 31 January, 2025, Sebastian Frankenberger, president of the WFTGA delivered a talk on Artificial Intelligence for Tourist Guides to members of the NFTGA.ย He showed how recent developments in A.I. can now enable guides to automate and simplify many time-consuming tasks such as replying to emails, creating and updating schedules, preparing summary documents of […]
2nd up-date for participants
Dear WFTGA Trainers, WFTGA Members and aspiring trainers, Dear Participants of the WFTGA Trainer Convention in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, I have now arrived in Kota Kinabalu and look forward to seeing you โ either in-person or online โ in just under 2 weeksโ time. Our hosts, the Sabah Tourist Guides Association, are pulling out all […]
Sebastian Frankenberger Highlights Ethical Responsibility of Tour Guides in an Era of Misinformation and Populism
Yesterday, Sebastian Frankenberger, president of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, addressed a group of DC tour guides at the George Washington School of Business on the Ethical Responsibility of Tourist Guides in the Age of Alternative Truths and Populism. He explained that tourist guides today, in addition to conveying historical and architectural information, […]
up-date for participants
Dear Colleagues, Dear WFTGA Trainers, WFTGA Members and aspiring trainers, Dear Participants of the WFTGA Trainer Convention in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Just over 3 weeks to go until we meet for our first ever Trainer Convention. Thank you for registering and lending your support โ either in-person or online. You can look forward to an […]
WFTGA Convention 2026 Japan | NEWSLETTER 2
My name is Miz and I am the President of Team Japan K-iTG. Thank you to the many people who submitted their Intention Surveys. We have received many comments from many people across the globe that they would like to visit Japan. At the WFTGA 2026 Bid held in Sicily, Italy, Japan was selected as […]
Happy Holidays!
As we approach the close of 2024 and look forward to an exciting 2025, I am filled with gratitude for the immense support we have received throughout this journey. Together, we have laid the groundwork for many of the ideas we plan to bring to fruition in the coming year. I invite you to explore […]
Strengthening Global Ties: Maricar Donatoโs Visit to SLINT GL in Sri Lanka
On December 3, 2024, WFTGA Global Brand Ambassador Maricar Donato had the privilege of visiting the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers (SLINT GL), a Full Member of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA). The visit marked a significant moment of cultural exchange and professional collaboration. Donato was welcomed with a […]
WFTGA Executive Board Meets with Cyprus Deputy Minister of Tourism
The Executive Board (WxBo) of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) held a productive meeting with the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Cyprus, Mr. Kostas Koumis, on Monday, November 25, 2024. The meeting, conducted in a constructive and collaborative atmosphere at the offices of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, also included representatives from […]
WFTGA ExBo member meet with colleagues from the Sabah Tourist Guide Association
During her family vacation in Sabahย Malaysia, WFTGA ExBo member and appointedย secretary Ivana ฤuruvija, had a chance to meet with colleagues from the Sabah Tourist Guide Association. Ivana and her family were privileged to be guided by WFTGA International Trainer Roger Rajah, the president of STGA, and WFTGA National Trainer, the Viceย president of STGA, Grace Leong […]
History of the Yerevan International Training Center
The history of the Yerevan International Training Center began in 2014 when at the Ministry of Economy of Armenia the WFTGA President Felicitas Wressnig and Lia Bakhshinyan, President of the Armenian Guides Guild (AGG), signed the document that stated the establishment of the center. However, our first acquaintance with the WFTGA had taken place even […]
WFTGA Convention 2026 Japan | NEWSLETTER 1
Join us for the first EVER international convention of tourist guides in Japan. We look forward to the opportunity to introduce Fukuoka to the international participants and tourist guides of the WFTGA. Become โFukuoka ambassadorsโ while we showcase our local members the โglobal standardโ of guiding. We want to help our members learn about international […]
The WFTGA 21st Tourist Guide Convention 2026 website is now live!
The WFTGA 21st Tourist Guide Convention 2026 website is now live! During the coming weeks and months we will be adding further information.ย convention.wftga.org ย Save the date:ย Main Convention: 9th to 13th February 2026 Pre Programme: 5th to 8th February 2026 Post Programme: 13th to 17th February 2026 Convention 2026 intention survey to attend:ย […]
Three HOT Courses in Almaty
With the sponsorship support of Almaty Tourism Department, WFTGA delivered 2 HOT (Hands on Tourist Guiding) courses in Almaty, with the 3rd one to follow. The team of Lead International Trainers, including Gennadiy Chudnovets, Jean Wang and Ivana ฤuruvija, was working with the support of WFTGA National Trainers Zhanar Gabit to organise and deliver a […]
Launch of Social Media Campaign – Training Thursday
We are live with Training Thursday – a snappy, eye-catching introduction to you, our WFTGA Trainers on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instragram. How can you feature: update your Trainer Profile on the website e-mail us a high resolution qualify photograph of yourself in action as tourist guide or trainer Answer 4 simple questions: Where do you […]
Strategic Partnership to Support Culinary Tourism Industry Growth
The World Food Travel Association (WFTA) and the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) are thrilled to announce the relaunch of their strategic partnership, focusing on the training and certification of culinary tourist guides and tour directors. This collaboration aims to address the growing interest in food and beverage as primary attractions for travelers […]
Save the date: 1st WFTGA Trainer Convention
We are excited to announce the launch of a biennial interim conference that will take place between the WFTGA Conventions. We are pleased to share that the Tourist Guide Association of Malaysia, Sabah, has made a wonderful offer to host the first Trainer Conference. This event will be held from 18th to 21st February 2025 […]
Liaison between Training Committee and Area Reps
On 05 Aug the TC will meet the Area Reps to gain more insight into each other’s roles and to strengthen co-operation and communication. To make this happen the Training Committee has appointed its member Hussein Dehghan as permanent liaison between the 2 teams. Who better than Hussein, who has been a long-standing Area Rep […]
Historic Participation for โEmpowering African Tourist Guides: Collaborative Strategies for Successโ
We are delighted to announce that the upcoming virtual event, โEmpowering African Tourist Guides: Collaborative Strategies for Success,โ has garnered unprecedented interest, with over 330 participants registered. This significant turnout reflects the growing recognition of the vital role tourist guides play in promoting sustainable tourism and enriching visitor experiences across Africa. Scheduled for 20th July, […]
Host Committee official Kick-Off
Thanks to the last WFTGA Convention in Siracusa, โTeam Japanโ for inviting WFTGA 2026 Convention has been smoothly converted into the Host Committee. We had a kick-off session at K-iTG Annual Assembly with 90 attendees of professional guides, travel agencies and local governments on June-8. At the session, we performed โDontakuโ โ the local festival […]
11th National Tour Guides Convention and 2nd Philippine Tour Guides Conference and Caravan
The 11th National Tour Guides Convention and 2nd Philippine Tour Guides Conference and Caravanheld last June 9-11, 2024 at Summit Hotel, Tacloban City was a beautiful experience attended by more than 200 Tour guides from different organization nationwide. The MULATGAP, Multi-ligual Accredited Tour Guides Association of the Philippines headed by their President Evangeline Ana Sevilla […]
Meet the Board – June 2024
Tea Chats are back, and we’ve given them a fresh twist! Introducing “Meet the Board” Chats-a super casual, once-a-month online hangout where you can chat with board members about anything you want. Mark your calendars for our first get-together: Date: June 7, 2024 Time: 18:30 PM CET (Vienna time) Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85023681704 This time, […]
Ready is the Guide training (educational) Film โLand of Bay(s) / Cool Landโ
An educational (training) film “Land of Bay(s) / Cool Land” about Lahemaa National Park and historical Lahemaa tour guiding. (Subtitles in English). Length: 28.26. In the film, Marek Vahula, the lifelong famous guide of Lahemaa National Park exemplifies his approx. 70 tour guide tips. With the help of the film, guide Marek’s strong vision of […]
Social Media Campaigns
Members’ Monday We are restarting this popular social media event on Instagram and facebook. Every Monday one Association Member will be highlighted. For this, we need material from you! Keeping it short and simple will help. It should boost impact and hits. You can share the WFTGA post featuring your association โ a two-way street. […]
The WFTGA ExBo 2024 – 2026
In the constitutive session of the Executive Board, in accordance with the WFTGA Constitution we, as Executive Board, have elected the Vice President, the Secretary and appointed the Head of the Training Division. ย President: Sebastian Frankenberger Sebastian Frankenberger brings over 20 years of extensive experience in tourism, particularly as a guide and trainer. […]
Persian Phoenix to rise from pandemic ashes celebrating 2024 ITGD with 900 members
Iran Federation of Tourist Guide Associations could hold its ITGD convention after fours years of hiatus with 100 guests of honor reaching a totall of 1000 people in the convention on Friday 17 Februrary 2024 in Tehran.ย Aside from the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism & Tourism and his Tourism Deputy, and some top managers, […]
INTERNATIONAL TOURIST GUIDE DAY 2024
On the 21stย of February each year we celebrate the occasion of International Tourist Guide Day. This is a day dedicated to the profession of Tourist Guiding and affords us the opportunity to highlight and showcase this profession on the global stage. This is a day that was set in motion in 1989 at the 3rd […]
A message from the outgoing President, Alushca Ritchie 2017 – 2024
Colleagues, Friends, and Members, As I stand before you today, I am filled with a mix of emotions – gratitude, nostalgia, and a tinge of sadness. It is with a heavy heart that I address you as I bid farewell to this incredible association. First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to […]
JANE ORDE SCHOLARSHIP 2024
Thank you to all the participants who contributed with items towards the auction and raffle draws. These assisted in raising funds towards future Jane Orde Scholarship recipients.ย Our three Jane Orde Scholarship recipients finally met in person at the 20th Convention in Italy. We are proud to have hosted them and look forward to hearing […]
Welcome to the WFTGA Executive Board Members for 2024 – 2026
The WFTGA are pleased to announce the elected President for 2024 – 2026 as Sebastian Frankenberger, Germany.ย He will be supported by theย elected WFTGA Executive Board for 2024 – 2026, Viola Lewis (UK/Scotland), James Saunders (Canada), Juan Ignacio Vazquez (Spain), Kalliopi Panou (Greece), Cristina Leal (Portugal) and Ivana Curuvija (Serbia).
Tourist guides as peace ambassadors
WFTGA serves as the global forum for professional tourist guides and operates as a non-political organization. Our worldwide Tourist Guide members play a crucial role as peace ambassadors, fostering unity among cultures and people. Functioning as heritage interpreters, we advocate for a value-based approach to heritage interpretation, standing firm in our commitment to a peaceful […]
WFTGA Convention 2026 – K-iTG, Fukuoka, Japan
The hosts for the 21st WFTGA Convention 2026, as voted by the Delegates at the 2024 General Assembly will be WFTGA Member association K-iTG, Fukuoka, Japan. The announcement was made at the Gala Dinner.
News from Indonesian Tourist Guides Association
Indonesia Tourist Guides Association mourns the death of their former President and SEATGA President too, Mangku Nyoman Kandia who passed away last January 16, 2024 just before our Siracusa Convention due to a Heart Attack while training tourist guides in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He was 58. He will missed by his colleagues and as well as […]
WFTGA CONVENTION – 2026 BIDDING COUNTRIES
In alphabetical order we can confirm the following four 2026 bidding countries and associations will continueย through to Italy for the final presentations and Q&A sessions before voting takes place by your Delegates. IRELAND – Approved Tourist Guides of Ireland (ATGI CLG) JAPAN – Kyushu Association of Interpreters, Translators and Guide-Interpreters (K-iTG) MALAYSIA – Sabah Tourist […]
New Year Message
2023 has arrived and we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely wish you all the very best for the New Year. Each year is a gift that holds hope for new adventures. Over the past 12 months we have focused largely on the recovery of the Tourism and Tourist Guiding sectors. Moving forward […]
Join us this week for the 2022 Association Journeys!
Join us this week for the 2022 Association Journeys!ย These presentations are an opportunity for our members to share their success stories, challenges and their future plans.ย Now in its third year, the Journeys have proven to be a wonderful platform to learn from others and share news that traditionally is shared in the format of […]
