Dear colleagues,
dear friends of the WFTGA,

We hope our recent newsletter about the WFTGA Convention 2026 in Fukuoka, Japan, has sparked your excitement and anticipation for this very special gathering of our global guiding community.

Today, we would like to provide a brief but important update regarding registration.

While our initial plan was to open registration in May, it has become clear that we need a little more time to finalise a few essential components – in particular, the registration platform and payment system, which must comply with both WFTGA standards and Japanese legal requirements. This process involves careful technical and regulatory coordination to ensure a smooth and secure experience for all participants.

At the same time, we are actively addressing the extraordinary increase in costs related to hosting the Convention in Japan. Since the announcement of Expo 2025 in Osaka, prices across many sectors of the tourism industry have risen significantly – far beyond the already expected global trends. This has presented challenges, but also motivates us to find creative solutions.

We are working diligently to secure additional sponsorship and support, with the aim of offering a Convention experience that is both exceptional and fair in cost.

To ensure quality and transparency, we have set ourselves a clear internal deadline: registration will open no later than 1 July. We are doing everything possible to make it available already in June and will keep you informed every step of the way.

This time is also being used to strengthen our Federation’s long-term structures. We are currently revising the bidding documents for the 2028 WFTGA Convention, with the goal of simplifying the application process and restructuring the overall organisational framework. Our vision is to reduce the administrative burden for future hosts, centralise technical processes, and avoid reinventing systems with every new event. This will allow local teams to focus more on cultural content and the guest experience – and ensure consistency, efficiency and sustainability across all future conventions.

We are confident that these developments represent a strong step forward for our global community – one that reflects our shared commitment to quality, collaboration and professional growth.

And finally, please rest assured: there is no need to rush or worry. Based on travel industry trends, the best airfares are typically available two to four months prior to departure – so there is still plenty of time to plan your journey.

We thank you for your continued trust, patience and enthusiasm – and we truly look forward to welcoming you to Japan in 2026!

With warm regards from the WFTGA family,

Sebastian Frankenberger
President of WFTGA