Membership
If you are looking to hire a GANYC Guide, please visit our Find a Guide page.
GANYC is the professional association of tour guides in New York City.
If you are a currently licensed NYC sightseeing guide, you are eligible to join GANYC!
APPLY: If you are ready to join our organization, our membership application is here.
If you are an organization or tour operator, you may be interested in our industry partner program.
Benefits
- General Tour Guide Liability Insurance Available (optional; at extra cost)
- Members-only FAM Tours and Site Visits
- Professional Development Classes and Workshops
(including access to our Digital Library with virtual FAM tours and educational classes) - GANYC Certified Guide Program
- Exclusive Access to a Network of Active Industry Professionals
- Professional and Social Networking Opportunities
- Job Board and Job Fair
- Advocacy for Tour Guide Profession
- Industry Partner Program
- Public Member Profiles, Including Rotating “Featured Guide”
- Domestic and International Professional Development Conferences
- Governed by Our Constitution & By-Laws, Code of Ethics and Professional Standards
Tour operators regularly look first to our membership when hiring professional tour guides in NYC.
Join these ranks today!
Monthly Meetings
Our regular monthly membership meetings are open to members and non-members alike.
These meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of each month, from 6:00pm - 8:30pm, typically at various sites of interest throughout the 5 boroughs, with a few virtual meetings per year. Meetings generally have a guest speaker covering a topic of interest to NYC tour guides or NYC in general. Past speakers have been authors, activists, academics and historians. Past recordings of GANYC Membership Meetings are available on our YouTube page.
Our Membership
Formed by licensed NYC tour guides in 1974, GANYC is one of the oldest, largest and most active tour guide organizations in the United States. If you know a NYC tour guide, chances are they are, or know, a GANYC Guide.
We're affiliated with the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (NFTGA; nearby member associations are in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago) and World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) and our members have access to respective networking and other benefits from both of these organizations.
Our members and industry partners run the gamut of the tourism industry and are tour guides and directors, tour operators, managers, freelancers, employees and everything in between. Some are full-time, others are part-time, with a variety of roles, including step-on guides, tour managers, walking tour guides, double decker bus guides, site ambassadors, working locally and over the road. For some this is a first job, others a second job, side job or retirement job. Collectively we are professional tour guides who advocate for ourselves and the vital role of our work in our industry.
Requirements for Membership
All members must have a current NYC Sightseeing Guide License to apply and to maintain membership, in addition to paying annual dues and adhering to GANYC's Code of Ethics.
(Need to obtain a NYC sightseeing guide license? Read our info: here!)
After submitting an application and meeting with our Executive Board, approved applicants become provisional members. Provisional members are granted all the benefits of full members, with the exception of non-Awards voting and board member elections (voting and running for office). After a minimum 12 months of membership, provisional members can request full membership. To do so, provisional members must attend a minimum of four monthly GANYC meetings and provide a letter of recommendation from two current full members.
First year's regular annual dues are $175, and payable upon membership approval. If joining from July 1 - October 31, the first year's dues are prorated to $87.50 and cover membership through the end of the calendar year. From November 1 - December 31, regular dues cover the current and following year.
For renewals after your first year, you must pay the regular annual dues to maintain active membership.
If you have further questions, please contact the Membership Committee via email: membership@ganyc.org or see us at the Membership Desk at our next monthly membership meeting.
We look forward to meeting you soon!