Tour Company Affiliate Membership
Guild Affiliate members are tour companies that bring groups to Washington, DC. Join as an Affiliate Member!
Browse our Directory of Affiliate Members!
Affiliate members enjoy the following benefits of membership:
Access to Top Quality Professional Guild Guides
Guild Guides Participate in Guild Training and Continuing Education
- The Professional Development Program is required for all new guides in the Guild. Two workshops, Presentation Skills & Group Management and Motor Coach Guiding are provided for Associate members along with a two-year offering of educational programs prior to the written exam and practical evaluation for Full membership.
- The Certified Master Guide Program is a 5-year program for a Full member that includes advanced continuing education, business skills, contribution to the guiding industry, written and practical exam.
Guild Guides Subscribe to the Highest Standards of Client Confidentiality
- The Guild's Code of Ethics and Business Practice ensures that member guides follow the highest standards of the profession and abide by the policies of the company for whom they are working. As a contractor to a company, a guide shall not accept or solicit jobs directly from a client for whom the guide is currently conducting or has conducted a tour; nor shall a guide attempt to divert business from the company.
Updated Information for Tours
The Guild provides several sources of updated information for tours:
The Guild Website
- The Guild's website provides for members only a site list with information about contacts, hours of operation, and more. The Site Update List, prepared annually in early spring, is available in downloadable form and is viewable on the website with fresh information as it becomes available . The website also has for members only a calendar of events, online newsletters, expertise list of specialty tours, and more.
The Capital Guide
- The Capital Guide monthly newsletter features vital tourism information, Directory updates, news of upcoming events, and offers advertising opportunities — it's a 'must-read' for members and colleagues.
Guild Update Line
- The Guild has a telephone line that provides a succinct synopsis of information about changing conditions affecting travel and hours of operation at sites commonly visited by tourists. An experienced guide sifts through notices and selects ones of greatest importance. The recording is often changed daily, but during slow seasons it may be changes less often. This phone number is provided to professional guides and to tour companies that are members of the Guild.
The Affiliate Angle
- The Affiliate Angle is an e-newsletter prepared by the tour company Affiliate serving on the Guild board of directors. It is sent out approximately eight times a year with information of particular value to tour companies that operate in Washington, DC.
Ease of Hiring Professional Guides
The Guld facilitates hiring professional guides:
Guild Membership Directory
- Annual directory of guides, vendors/suppliers, and tour companies, with a cumulative update published at mid-year. Guide listings include contact information, membership status, foreign language proficiency, and brief biography.
- Tour company representatives that belong to the Guild have access to the members-only section of the Guild website and the listing of Site Members. Information provided by Guild guides may include personal websites and photos. An email can be sent to any Site Member with a simple click.
Job Notices
- Fill out the form on the Guild's website, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Notices get posted on GuildGuides online, and receive rapid responses.
Expertise Listing of Specialty Tours, Cathedral-Certified Guides
- Annual listing of guides who conduct walking tours, out-of-town tours, and tours focused on topics/themes. There is a separate listing of guides certified to conduct tours at the Washington National Cathedral.
Showcase / Job Fair
- Events for tour companies to meet guides and conduct interviews. Guild Friends participate in Showcase as vendors of services from hotels, restaurants, and tourist sites.
Advocacy for Tourism
Government and Tourism Industry Liaison Committee
- As a recognized stakeholder whose voice is sought by the tourism industry, the Guild has a 'seat at the table' before governmental and tourism-related organizations.
Site Liaisons
- The Guild has one-to-one connections to all the major tourist sites in Washington, DC so that representatives at these sites know who to call to get information out quickly to members of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides. The Guild also uses these connections to provide feedback on how site policies affect visitors.
Promotion of Tour Company Affiliate Members
- Affiliate members are listed in the public access section of Guild website: www.washingtondctourguides.com The listings are searchable by keywords chosen by the tour companies themselves. To bring traffic to the site and for search engine optimization there are pages of information about sightseeing in Washington, DC.
