Full Membership is the foundation upon which the WFTGA is built. Our Full Members – the national and regional Associations of Tourist Guides – form the backbone of our Federation and represent our most important partners in strengthening the guiding profession worldwide.
At the WFTGA, we strongly believe in the sustainable development of the guiding profession through organised associations. By uniting and empowering associations globally, we help create stronger structures, clearer representation, higher standards, and a more resilient tourism sector.
WFTGA Vice President and Portfolio Members
As a Full Member of the WFTGA, your association joins a global peer network committed to excellence, sustainability and professional cooperation. Benefits include:
Global Visibility & Representation
- Your association is listed on the WFTGA website, which attracts around 10,000 individual visitors per month.
- You may proudly display the WFTGA Full Member logo, symbolising recognised professionalism.
- Your association receives public support from the WFTGA when challenges arise with regional authorities, legislation or stakeholder relations.
- We regularly publish your press releases, announcements, events and achievements on our website and social media channels.
Participation & Democratic Involvement
- Full Members may send one delegate to WFTGA General Assemblies, where important decisions are discussed, shared and voted on.
- As part of our constitutional reform, we are working toward a future where each association receives one vote, strengthening fairness and representation.
- Members take part in shaping sector-wide standards, such as the WFTGA Code of Guiding Practice and the future Code of Conduct.
Professional Exchange & Peer-to-Peer Learning
- Exclusive access to our annual Association Journeys – a platform where associations present their work, challenges and success stories, receiving feedback from peers worldwide.
- Participation in upcoming exchange forums for Treasurers, Administrators and Presidents – a space to share problems, best practices and effective solutions.
- Opportunities to present and collaborate at Conventions, training events and international meetings.
Training Support & Development
- Support in the accreditation of training programmes and guidance on developing national or regional training standards.
- Access to WFTGA CMD (Continuous Member Development) sessions, offered free of charge to associations.
- Planned expansion of WFTGA’s training services, including advanced courses, Train-the-Trainer support, and capacity-building initiatives.
Member Discounts & Cultural Benefits
- Full Members receive access to the CulTour Card, offering discounts and often free entry to museums, cultural attractions and partner institutions worldwide.
- Special rates for WFTGA trainings, Convention participation and partner services.
Communication & Networking
- Monthly WFTGA newsletter with international updates, opportunities and resources.
- Social media features to spotlight your association’s work and promote your activities to a global audience.
- Access to a protected members’ area with documents, past newsletters, recordings, policies, statements and toolkits.
Support for Organisational Growth
- Guidance in drafting official letters, advocacy documents and communications to local or national authorities.
- Participation in our developing Guide Marketing Portal (scheduled rollout: Autumn 2026), with technical integrations designed to support national associations.
- Future access to legal advisory support and software solutions for association management, including membership systems, accounting tools and digital administration platforms.
Who can become a Full Member of the WFTGA?
Any non-profit, independent Association (or group of Associations) of officially registered Tourist Guides from any country may apply for Full Membership.
What does “official Tourist Guide” mean?
Members of the applying association must be registered or licensed by the appropriate authority in their country, or an equivalent recognised system.
How many votes does my association have?
Under the current Constitution, each country is represented by one voting delegate.
As part of the ongoing constitutional reform, each association will receive one vote in the future.
What are the main benefits of Full Membership?
Full Members receive global visibility, access to WFTGA resources and documents, participation in the Association Journeys, networking opportunities, support letters for local advocacy, social media features, eligibility for WFTGA programmes, and much more.
How much is the membership fee?
From 1 January 2026, all associations pay a single, consolidated annual fee, based on the WFTGA tier system. There is no longer a separate “country fee” and “association fee.”
How are fees adjusted each year?
Fees are automatically updated using the global inflation rate published in the IMF World Economic Outlook and rounded up to the nearest 10 currency units.
Can multiple associations from the same country become Full Members?
Yes. Each association applies individually and pays its own fee.
How does the registration process work?
Associations submit the required documents; the Executive Board reviews the application and decides within one month.
What support does the WFTGA offer?
Support includes letters to authorities, professional statements, press amplification, training advice, course accreditation, development of a Code of Guiding Practice and Code of Conduct, plus upcoming resources in governance, legal advice, administration software and networking platforms.
Can our association participate in WFTGA Conventions?
Yes. Full Members may send a delegate to General Assemblies held during Conventions and may also contribute presentations, workshops and reports.
Where can we find previous resources, recordings and documents?
All Full Members receive access to the WFTGA Members’ Area with documents, past newsletters, recordings, policies and toolkits.
New Fee Model (Effective from 1 January 2026)
To simplify and modernise our approach, the WFTGA has introduced a consolidated membership fee structure:
Important Principles:
No distinction between “country fee” and “association fee”
→ Every association pays one single annual fee, based on the WFTGA tier classification of its country.
One fee per association
→ Fees are no longer divided among multiple associations within a single country.
Transitional flexibility for 2026
→ Due to the short implementation period, the Executive Board may grant temporary exemptions for the year 2026 upon request.
Yearly fee:
Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 |
€700 | €600 | €500 | €250 | €100 |
Invoices are calculated according to the latest IMF and OSCE GDP(PPP) of each country – see below Tiers 1-5, as published in October 2025.
Tier 1: > 60000 USD
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Canada
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Guyana
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Qatar
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- UAE
- UK
- USA
Tier 2: 60000–50000 USD
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Israel
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Lithuania
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Puerto Rico
- Slovenia
- Spain
Tier 3: 50000–30000 USD
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Argentina
- Aurba
- Bahamas
- Belarus
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Curacao
- Dominican Republic
- Estonia
- Georgia
- Greece
- Hungary
- Kazakhstan
- Latvia
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mauritius
- Montenegro
- Oman
- Panama
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Kitts & Nevis
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Slovakia
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turkiye
- Uruguay
Tier 4: 30000–10000 USD
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Cape Verde
- China
- Colombia
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equitorial Guinea
- Eswatini (Swaziland)
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kosovo
- Laos
- Libya
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Nauru
- North Macedonia
- Palau
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Phillipines
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent & Grenadines
- South Africa
- Suriname
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
Tier 5: ≤ 10000 USD
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Digibouti
- DR Congo
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Micronesia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Papa New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tongp
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Annual Adjustment Mechanism
All membership fees are automatically adjusted each year in line with the global inflation rate published in the IMF’s World Economic Outlook (WEO):
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO
- Adjustment = global inflation rate of the previous year
- Rounded up to the next 10 currency units
- Automatically applied on 1 August each year
- Relevant for the new fiscal year beginning 1 November
Registration Process
Full Membership is open to any non-profit, independent Association or group of Associations of Tourist Guides from any country whose members are recognised as official Tourist Guides by the appropriate licensing authority or equivalent national system.
Becoming a Full Member of the WFTGA is straightforward and transparent:
Submit your Application
Associations provide their registration documents, confirmation of official Tourist Guide status and general organisational information.
Review by the Executive Board
The WFTGA Executive Board verifies eligibility according to the WFTGA Constitution and Membership Regulations.
Approval within One Month
Applications are approved or declined within 30 days of submission.
Access to Full Membership Benefits
Upon approval and payment of the membership fee, your association immediately gains full access to all WFTGA services, visibility, support and voting rights.