Welcome to TGFI - Tourist Guide Federation of India Explore Incredible India with Certified Professional Tour Guides Discover Rajasthan's Rich Heritage, Forts & Palaces Book Trusted & Government Approved Guides Today Serving Jaipur & New Delhi with Expert Tourist Guidance Your Journey, Our Expertise - Travel India with Confidence Welcome to TGFI - Tourist Guide Federation of India Explore Incredible India with Certified Professional Tour Guides Discover Rajasthan's Rich Heritage, Forts & Palaces Book Trusted & Government Approved Guides Today Serving Jaipur & New Delhi with Expert Tourist Guidance Your Journey, Our Expertise - Travel India with Confidence
Apex Body of Tourist Guides · Est. 1996

Tourist Guides
Federation of India

Tourist Guides Federation of India (TGFI) is the national apex body representing tourist guides throughout the country. Founded in 1996, it is a federation that local and regional guide associations join, so that the people who introduce India to the world have one strong, united voice.

About TGFI Our Objectives
30+ Years of Service
27 National Conventions
7 Presidential Terms
About TGFI

The national voice of India's tourist guides

Heritage fort representing India's guiding heritage Heritage
Who We Are

About TGFI

Established in 1996, Tourist Guides Federation of India (TGFI) stands as the apex body representing tour guides throughout India. It gives the profession a single national organisation that can speak with authority to government, industry and the public.

Who We Represent

Guides Across India

TGFI represents Incredible India Tourist Guides (IITG) and Regional Level Guides (RLG) – the guides who welcome visitors at India's monuments, museums, heritage sites, wildlife parks and pilgrimage towns.

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Tourist guides with visitors at Gwalior Fort under the Indian flag Our places
How We're Organised

Membership & Voting

TGFI is a national federation that local associations join – individual guides do not become direct members. Each member association contributes its President, General Secretary and a nominee, and holds full voting rights.

Governance

Executive Body

The role of a member association is more profound than just representation – it includes the power to vote for the Executive Body, which serves a two-year term and carries forward the objectives of TGFI.

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Our Mission

Objectives of TGFI

Seven commitments guide everything the Federation does. Together they protect the profession, bring guides together and raise the standard of guiding across India.

01

Protecting Interests & Rights

We safeguard the rights, privileges and professional standing of IITG and RLG guides across India, and speak for them wherever decisions affecting guiding are taken.

02

Promoting Unity

Fostering cordial relations, mutual respect and cooperation among guides and their associations, so every guide shares the same platform, information and support.

03

Economic Betterment

Working towards the economic and financial upliftment of guides, and towards fair, dignified conditions for a profession that depends on the flow of tourism.

04

Grievance Redressal

Ensuring that grievances are addressed constitutionally, and providing working conditions that are conducive for guides to excel in their duties.

05

International Standard

Elevating the guiding profession to an international standard through refresher courses, exchange programmes, quality benchmarks and a shared code of practice.

06

Liaison for Solutions

Staying in regular dialogue with the Ministry of Tourism, state governments, IATO, TAAI, FAITH and other tourism bodies to find practical solutions to guide-related issues.

07

Educational Initiatives

Organising conventions, workshops, educational tours, refresher courses and lectures to enhance the knowledge, skills and professionalism of our guides.

The role of a member unit is more profound than just representation, as it includes the power to vote for the Executive Body. This Executive Body serves a two-year term, so every unit has a regular opportunity to shape the direction of the Federation.

Structure

How TGFI is organised

Authority in the Federation flows upward from its member associations, which is what keeps it accountable to the guides it serves.

Member associations

Local and regional guide associations join TGFI as member units. Each unit sends its President, General Secretary and a nominee to represent it in the Federation.

General Body

Member units hold the voting rights. Policy and direction are decided through General Body Meetings, where every unit has a voice in the Federation's decisions.

Executive Body

The member units vote for the Executive Body, which serves a two-year term and carries forward the decisions and day-to-day work of the Federation.

Leadership

Presidential Legacy

Member associations hold voting rights. Each unit sends its President, General Secretary and a nominee to TGFI, actively shaping decisions through General Body Meetings.

The very first President of TGFI was Mr. Vipin Bhardwaj from Delhi, and the Presidents who followed have come from different parts of India.

Gatherings

27 National Conventions

Our proud history of TGFI conventions stands as a testament to our collective commitment to the profession – from the first convention in Jaipur in 1996, through the Silver Jubilee Convention in Srinagar in 2024, to the latest in Siliguri in 2026.

From Srinagar to Tashkent, uniting guides under one banner

Collaboration

Working in Harmony

No guide association can solve every problem alone. TGFI works alongside government and industry to find practical, lasting answers.

Partnering with Tourism Bodies

Collaborating with IATO, TAII, FAITH and other tourism bodies in India to support guides and to keep the profession part of every conversation about the industry.

Government Liaison

Working with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and with state governments to resolve guide-related issues through dialogue and proper channels.

International Standard

Elevating the guiding profession through refresher courses, exchange programmes and quality benchmarks that match what travellers expect worldwide.

Bodies we work with

  • Ministry of TourismGovernment of India
  • State GovernmentsTourism departments
  • IATOIndian Association of Tour Operators
  • TAIITravel Agents Association of India
  • FAITHFederation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality