Becoming a Member
If you are considering a career change and are interested in learning about Tour Guiding as a Career, click on that link.
If you wish to become a member of the San Francisco Tour Guide Guild, join us using the online application.
Your online application will be reviewed and when it is approved, you will receive an email with login instructions. At that point, you will be asked to pay the appropriate membership dues. Membership in the Guild is for one year and must be renewed annually.
Please note: Once you become a member, your contact information will be made available to other Guild members unless you opt out, but it is not provided to anyone outside of the organization. We have a separate external directory where you can create a profile so that employers can find you.
Tour Guide Membership Information
Certified and Associate Members
Any person who:
- has been accepted by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees;
- agrees to abide by the Guild’s Code of Ethics & Professional Standards;
- currently resides or works in or about the San Francisco Bay Area as a tour guide or tour escort;
- agrees to actively pursue continuing education by attending two Guild events annually, with non-compliance resulting in a non-active membership status. These members will be dropped from the current job referral list.
- has dues paid current.
Certified Member
In addition to the above:
- has passed all parts of the Guild’s Certification Examination;
- has documented the required tours/hours of experience;
- has demonstrated compliance with the Guild’s Code of Ethics & Professional Standards during a minimum of one year (12 months) membership in the Guild.
For more information on becoming a Certified member, please visit the Certification Page.
Associate Membership
- has submitted membership application and has two professional references checked and approved by the membership committee;
Membership Dues
Dues are $80 for the first year and $75 after that. Application fees and dues are subject to change by the Board of Trustees.
Benefits of membership include:
- Online access to the complete membership directory.
- Participation in general business and special meetings.
- Professional contacts through networking.
- Exposure to employers through the Guild’s external members directory, which is available to the general public, plus special access to tour-related businesses that are Business Friends of the SFTGG.
- Subscription to the Guild’s newsletter, The Guidepost.
- Industry updates through email and forums.
- Invitations to attend educational programs and events.
- Various industry discounts.
- Membership in the National Federation of Tour Guide Associations (NFTGA), including the opportunity to purchase liability insurance.
- Upon Certification, the option to be listed in the Guild’s Directory of Certified Guides and to receive preference for referrals for work assignments.
Rights
- Certified and Associate Members may vote in elections for Trustees and on other Guild business at its semi-annual membership meetings or special membership meetings.
- Certified members may use all Guild facilities and services, use the title “Certified Tour Guide,” use the initials “CTG” after their name, and use the Guild emblem on their business cards.
Business and Individual Friends of the Guild Membership Information
The San Francisco Tour Guide Guild offers two types of membership to non-guides: Business Friend and Individual Friend.
Members in the Friends of the Guild categories include Destination Management Companies, Tour Operators, Motorcoach and Limousine Companies, Meeting Planners, Cruise & Sail Charters, and others in the tourism and convention industry.