World Federation of Tourist Guide Association Model
Taken from www.wftga.org
A BRIEF HISTORY OF WFTGA BEGINNINGS
WFTGA came into being as a result of proposals put forward at the first International
Convention of Tourist Guides, in February 1985. The Federation was officially registered
as a non-profit organisation under Austrian law after a second Convention held in Vienna in
1987. At each international convention the WFTGA grew and today the organization has
members from more than 70 countries, representing well over 200,000 individual tourist
guides, WFTGA has established an international network of professional tourist guides and
today is the only global forum for tourist guides and continues to grow with the changes of
this industry.
WFTGA, THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TOURIST GUIDE ASSOCIATIONS is a not for profit,
non political organisation which groups together, around the world, tourist guide
associations; individual tourist guides where no association exists; tourism partners of
both the WFTGA and member associations; educational institutes in tourism for tourist
guides; convention and visitors bureaux and affiliate members who have direct or indirect
association with tourist guides.
The WFTGA’s main purpose is to promote, market and ensure that tourist guides are
recognised as the ambassadors of a region. They are the first and sometimes the only
representation of the population a visitor will meet. WFTGA offers services to our members
but also communicates to those in search of the services of professional area specific
tourist guides and where to hire them. We also actively promote our members’ associations
and industry partners worldwide.
WFTGA encourages and supports the use of only area-specific tourist guides to member
regions which keeps the local tourist guides working and ensures that visitors have
accurate and professional services from our members’ regions.
The day-to-day running of the World Federation is the responsibility of the Executive
Board whose members are elected by delegates of the member countries for a two- year
period at each Convention. To take a position on the Executive Board one has to know that
such a position means complete involvement, dedication and many hours of work.
Executive Board members who are elected must be actively practising tourist guides who
are not tour operators, or tourist guide employers.
In addition, a number of Area Representatives are appointed by the Executive Board to
provide liaison with the Board and with the existing members, and to encourage new
membership. Both Executive Board Members and Area Representatives are active
professional tourist guides. They are volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to
achieving the aims of the Federation and to the promotion of tourist guides worldwide.
The official language of the WORLD FEDERATION OF TOURIST GUIDE ASSOCIATIONS is
English. However, we will be more than happy to assist anyone we can in another language
should there be difficulty in communicating in English.
The WFTGA logo is a symbol of the hands of friendship and guidance stretched across the
world.
AIMS
The World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations is dedicated and committed:
 to establishing contact with tourist guide associations, individuals, tourism training
institutes throughout the world and to reinforcing their professional ties
 to representing professional tourist guides internationally and to promoting and
protecting their interests
 to enhancing the image of the profession and promoting the use of area specific local
tourist guides in all regions
 to promoting a universal code of ethics and skills
 to raising, encouraging and establishing the highest standards of professionalism
 to developing international training, and improving the quality of guiding through
education and training
 to facilitating the exchange of information between members
Notes  Organization has both associations and individual memberships globally, however
individual members can only join where from a country that doesn’t have its own
tourist guide association
 Affiliate members are supporting organizations such as Destination Marketing
Organizations (DMO’s) or National Tourism Organizations (NTO’s)
WFTGA Constitution
ARTICLE 1: NAME
The name of the organization shall be “World Federation of Tourist Guide
Associations (WFTGA)”, (referred to in this document as “the Federation”)
ARTICLE 2: DEFINITION
The World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations shall be a non-profit
making professional organization dedicated to the promotion of high
standards of training and ethics within the profession. The official
language used by the Federation shall be English. Legal documents shall
be drawn up in the language of the country of the Secretariat. The
Federation shall not engage in political, religious or racial activities.
ARTICLE 3: AIMS
a) To establish contact with Tourist Guide Associations throughout the
world, to reinforce their professional ties and to promote and protect the
interests of professional tourist guides;
b) To represent professional Tourist Guide Associations internationally;
c) To work for the improvement of the quality and reputation of the
profession of Tourist Guides worldwide;
d) To hold a Convention of Tourist Guide Associations at regular intervals.
ARTICLE 4: MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership shall be open worldwide to any non-profit making
independent Association or group of Associations of Tourist Guides from
any one country (for example, a national Association or a group
comprising a number of regional or other Associations) whose members
are registered as official Tourist Guides by the appropriate licensing
authority in conformity with the respective and relevant national laws. A
group consisting of Associations from more than one country is not
eligible for membership. Application for membership must be presented by
the Association or group of Associations from one country to the
Executive Board for approval. If the application is accepted, membership
will date from the payment of membership dues. Each application for
membership shall be made on an official application form and shall include
a copy of the Association(s)’Constitution/Governing Document. The clause
that shows that the association is a tourist guiding association must be
translated into English. National associations of tourist guides in
membership of the Federation shall be consulted upon application for
membership by other tourist guide associations from their country
b). Members are entitled to participate in all activities of the Federation, to
benefit from the facilities of the Federation and each member country is
entitled to have a single vote at the General Assembly
c) Each member shall agree to abide by the Constitution and the
resolutions taken by the bodies of the Federation, and to pay the annual
membership subscription due on 1 January.
d) Membership will be deemed to have lapsed should a member fail to pay
the membership dues within the conditions laid down by the Executive
Board. Membership may be withheld by a decision of the Executive Board,
ratified by the Arbitration Committee, should a member, in their opinions,
act contrary to standards and aims of the Federation or in a manner
damaging to the reputation of the Federation. Membership may be
terminated by a decision of the General Assembly.
e) Affiliate Membership will be open to tourism-related organisations,
whether governmental, local authority or other officially-funded or
privately-funded bodies involved at city, regional, national or international
level with tourism-related activities. Affiliate Membership will also be open
to education establishments, whether public or state controlled or private
fee-paying institutions involved with training in any aspect of the tourism
industry. This membership will be by invitation from the country of origin
and must be proposed and seconded by (up to two) official delegates of
that country. Their suitability for Affiliate Membership will be approved by
the Executive Board. Affiliate Members will receive the free publication of
the Federation. They may attend the Biennial Conventions as participants,
paying the normal membership rate. Affiliate Members may be present as
observers at training organised by, or under the auspices of the
Federation, if they are actively involved in an administrative or teaching
capacity in schools for tourist guide training, although they may not be
tourist guides. The annual Affiliate fee will be 75% of the full membership
subscription, payable on January each year.
f) Individual Membership will be open to persons from countries, which
currently are not members of the Federation. Admission of an Association
from that country will void such individual membership of a person by the
following 31 October. Individual members will receive the free publications
of the Federation, will be allowed to attend the Delegates’ meetings as
observers and may attend the biennial Convention as participants paying
the normal membership rate. Annual individual membership fee will be 35%
of the full membership subscription, payable on 1 January each year.
ARTICLE 5: FINANCES
Funds of the Federation will accrue from:
a) Membership dues - country and association dues; affiliate membership
dues and individual membership dues, to be paid annually as
recommended by the Executive Board and ratified by the General
Assembly
b) Donations, bequests, subsidies from private or public organizations;
c) A per capita payment, as agreed by the General Assembly, added to the
fee for attending the Federation’s Convention.
d) Training Fees received from WFTGA Training Courses and Royalties
payable by WFTGA Trainers
The funds shall be kept in a suitable account or accounts as decided by the
Executive Board and the Treasurer shall provide regular reports to the
Executive Board at least annually, and an audited Balance Sheet / Profit
and Loss Account biennially to be sent 10 days prior to the General
Assembly meeting to the member countries and presented at each meeting
of the General Assembly
ARTICLE 6: COMPOSITION
The Federation shall consist of:
The General Assembly
The Executive Board
The Finance Inspection Committee
The Arbitration Committee
ARTICLE 7: GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly shall comprise Delegates of the fully paid-up
members and the Executive Board. It shall be convened by the President
during each Convention.
An extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly may be convened by
the Executive Board, or on written demand required by 10% of the
Members.
Delegates to the General Assembly shall be tourist guides and shall
provide to the general assembly a letter of appointment from their own
tourist guiding association.
a) Methods of Voting in the General Assembly
When space permits, each member country may be represented by up to
two delegates. The Executive Board upon well-founded and documented
request may allow up to four representatives per country, provided that all
interested parties within that country agree so in writing.
Each member country may cast only one vote irrespective of the number of
member associations represented in that country.
The decisions of the General Assembly will be carried by a simple majority
vote, with the exception of changes to the Constitution which will require a
two-thirds majority of those present and voting, and a quorum of 50% of
the member countries. Voting shall be by a show of hands, unless a secret
ballot is required by any member.
Elections to the Executive Board shall be by secret ballot.
b) Proxies
No Delegate may hold more than one proxy, duly authorized in writing.
c) Functions of the General Assembly
i) To receive the President’s and Secretary’s reports;
ii) To approve the audited accounts of the Federation and receive the
Treasurer’s report on the finances of the Federation;
iii) To approve membership dues until the next General Assembly;
iv) To consider the report of the Executive Board on its activities since the
previous Assembly
v) To elect the President and the Executive Board
vi) To elect the Arbitration and the Finance Inspection Committees;
vii) To decide on the location and approximate date of the next Convention;
viii) To consider and approve proposals for action for the next two years;
ix) To ratify termination of membership as recommended by the Executive
Board
d) Quorum
More than 50% of the Delegates present or represented shall constitute a
quorum for any meeting of the General Assembly. When no quorum is
present, the President may postpone the meeting to a later hour or date,
when decisions may be taken by any number of Delegates present or
represented.
e) Rules of Procedure
The Chairman shall implement rules of procedure as drawn up by the
EXBO from time to time.
ARTICLE 8: THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
a) The Executive Board shall comprise a President, a Treasurer and not
more than 5 members directly elected by the General Assembly to serve for
a period of 2 years. The elected Executive Board shall appoint from its
number a Vice President and Secretary
Executive Members shall be eligible for re-election for 4 consecutive terms
(8 years) after which they may stand for election only after an interval of 2
terms (4 years). No Executive member may serve in the same position on
the Executive Board for more than 3 terms (6 years).
All candidate executive board members must be tourist guides and must
provide the general assembly with a letter of support for their candidature
from their own WFTGA member tourist guide association. Candidates who
are primarily tour operators or tour agents shall be ineligible to stand for
the Executive Board
b) Function and duties of the Executive Board
The Executive Board shall be responsible for the day-to-day running of the
organization and shall, within the competence allotted to it, have the power
to make decisions in order to further the aims of the Federation under
Article 3 above. The Executive Board may also co-opt members to the
Board if necessary, such members having no voting rights in the meetings
of the Board.
The Executive Board are empowered to make a recommendation at their
“mid-term” meeting between Conventions of any proposed increase in
members subscriptions (all categories) for the following biennial period
commencing 1st January and for all member organizations to be
immediately informed. Any such recommendation will allow member
organizations to budget locally for any proposed increase, but such
proposal must be put to the next Convention for deliberation.
Further duties inter alia, shall be:
i) to decide on applications for membership and to recommend termination
of membership where necessary;
ii) to present an annual budget;
iii) to meet at least once between Conventions of the General Assembly;
iv) to appoint Area Representatives for the Federation;
v) to issue such publications as shall be appropriate on matters of concern
to Tourist Guides
c) Two thirds of the members of the Executive Board shall constitute a
quorum for any meetings of the Executive Board provided that the
President or the Secretary is present.
d) The Executive Board shall make its decisions by simple majority vote,
except as provided by Article 8(f)
e) No one shall hold more than one office at the same time. No Federation
officer shall be remunerated. Expenses, properly recorded, incurred in the
execution of duties of the office shall be reimbursed.
f) By unanimous vote of no confidence by other members, a member may
be required to step down from the Executive Board. The circumstances of
such no confidence vote must be clearly documented and may only be for
conduct that seriously damages the work and/or reputation of the
Federation or for dereliction of duties as an Executive Board Member.
ARTICLE 9: OFFICERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
a) The President
The President shall officially represent the Federation within the limits
granted by the Constitution.
The President shall convene the General Assembly and the Executive
Board.
The President or, in his/her absence, the Vice-President, shall act as
Chairman at the Executive Board and at the General Assembly meetings.
b) The Secretary
Duties of the Secretary shall include taking minutes of all meetings of the
Executive Board and of the General Assembly, giving at least three
months’ written notice of all meetings of the Executive Board and the
General Assembly, and at least two months’ written notice of any proposed
changes to the Constitution. A proposed agenda shall be circulated to
members two months prior to any meeting.
c) The Treasurer
The Treasurer shall keep records of all financial transactions and submit all
financial records and audited accounts to the Executive Board, the General
Assembly and the Finance Inspection Committee. Funds shall be disbursed
with the signature of any two of the three officers – Treasurer, President
and Secretary.
d) Vice-President
The Vice-President shall preside over meetings of the Executive Board or
the General Assembly in the absence of the President. The Vice President
shall officially represent the Federation in the absence of the President.
ARTICLE 10: FINANCE INSPECTION COMMITTEE
The Finance Inspection Committee shall be made up of three members
selected from the General Assembly and they shall not be members of the
Executive Board. Their duty shall be to inspect the finances of the
Federation. Their term of office shall be two years.
ARTICLE 11: ARBITRATION COMMITTEE
All unresolved disputes arising under the articles of this Constitution shall
be decided by the Arbitration Committee. The General Assembly shall
appoint a standing Arbitration Panel of five non-executive members of
whom three will – with the approval of the interested parties – arbitrate in
any unresolved dispute.
ARTICLE 12: SECTRETARIAT AND REGISTRATION OF FILES
a) The headquarters of the Secretariat shall be located at a place agreed by
the General Assembly.
b) The title “The World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations”, its logo
and the title of its publications “Guidelines Internetion@l”, are registered
as trademarks and are fully protected internationally within the European
Union under the laws of the country of the Federation’s current official
Registered Office – Austria. The Federation’s official Registered Office is in
Vienna.
ARTICLE 13: PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
BY THE MEMBERSHIP
Any provision of this Constitution may be waived or changed in General
Assembly by a quorum of over 50% of the membership and a majority of
two thirds of those present and voting, provided that three months’ written
notice has been given of such proposed changes to the Secretariat.
ARTICLE 14: INDEMNIFICATION
By resolution of the Executive Board the Federation may, provide for
indemnification of the current or former officers against all expenses and
liabilities, including attorney fees in cases in which such person(s) seek to
be indemnified by the Federation with the defence of any action, lawsuit or
proceeding in which such person(s) is (are) made a party by reason of
his/her relationship to the Federation. However, no indemnification may be
provided for in relation to such matters as to which such person(s) shall be
judged in such action, lawsuit or proceeding to be liable for negligence or
misconduct in the performance of duties and to such matters as shall be
settled by agreement predicted on the existence of such liability,
negligence or misconduct.
ARTICLE 15: DISSOLUTION
a) If the Federation is dissolved, the funds remaining after liquidation shall
be donated to a charity as agreed by the Executive Board.
b) The relevant authorities (Register of Associations) shall be informed in
writing of the dissolution of the Federation and, in accordance with Article
26 of the Law of Associations, the last Executive Board shall gazette the
dissolution.
ARTICLE 16: OTHER MATTERS
In matters not dealt with by this Constitution, reference shall be made to
International Law.
January 2011