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  1. Tour Your Own City this Spring & Summer!

    We are very excited to see that the vaccination numbers in New York-- and across the US in general-- continue to rise each day. Congratulations to all who did not throw away their shot! The CDC has also recently released encouranging guidance on travel for those who are vaccinated. GANYC is proud of the work we have been doing in the past 13 months to help promote a safe return for the travel + tourism industry.

    Are you planning a visit to New York? Or do live in the New York area already, and want to get out and explore? We encourage you to visit the Tour Your Own City website. With over 100 unique tours available, there's an amazing local experience waiting just for you. From art to architecture to food to history, and much more! In addition to our main menu, you can also use our Search bar to customize your search by whatever you need... borough, tour type, day of week, language, and interests.

    See the video below for a look at how to navigate this site:


     


    You can also peruse GANYC's Find A Guide page to look at our membership and find a great guide for your trip. The best professional guides in NYC look forward to helping re-discover this amazing city.

  2. GANYC Discusses Loosening of Travel Restrictions on News12

    GANYC Public Relations Chair Jeremy Wilcox was on News12 last night for a segment discussing the end of restrictions for domestic travelers visiting New York, and why safety can't be sacrificed to reopen things just a bit sooner.

    Members of the Guides Association of NYC are ready and waiting to welcome tourists back to New York. But "safety first" has been our motto throughout this pandemic, and that has not changed. Cases are rising again, and we all want the U.S. to avoid the fate of many European nations, whose sharp rises have forced new rounds of lockdowns. We urge travelers to postpone travel until all 16+ members of their family/group have been fully vaccinated, to keep getting tested until then, and to continue to avoid any activities (such as indoor dining, etc) where masks aren't worn until then as well. GANYC understands pandemic fatigue is rising sharply as well, but we must all continue to do our part to prevent more suffering.

    GANYC urges both travelers and guides to read the Health and Safety Guidelines on our site for our recommended best practices for touring during this time.

    And for fully vaccinated locals or travelers who are looking to tour New York City this Spring and Summer, please visit https://touryourowncity.com/ to peruse 100+ unique tours designed to help people fall back in love with this city.

    So please stay safe, get vaccinated as soon as possible (local pharmacies seem to the best source for appointments right now), and we hope to see you all soon! We are all in this together.

  3. GANYC Members In The News Again!

    Two GANYC members featured in the news this past week...

    First, member Kevin Fitzpatrick was featured in this news story about his Woodlawn Cemetery tours.  NYC’s professional guides are still crafting unique ways to explore NYC and its history & culture.
    News12: Woodlawn Cemetery tour celebrates history of Irish people who helped shape NYC's history

    Second, GANYC Board member Jeremy Wilcox is quoted in this article with his feelings how it's safe to ride the subway during this time.  Mask up, then swipe and ride on!
    AM New York: New Yorkers react to subway boom

  4. Destination Capitol Hill Goes Virtual

    Destination Capitol Hill is the US travel industry's main lobbying event, which every year would bring travel professionals from across the US to Washington DC. Due to COVID, the event went virtual this year. Working with the US Travel Association and tourism professionals from across the country, GANYC members Patrick Casey Harvey Davidson, Kitt Garrett, Kevin Lawrence, and John Semlak have been meeting today with Senators and Representatives to advocate for government support of the travel and tourism industry. We thank the members who volunteered to represent us.

    Below is a screenshot of one meeting in session.

    We are thankful to congressional leadership over the past year for aid provided to out-of-work guides, and to new wins, like the expanded PPP legislation which cleared the House last night. Over the next several months, the tourism industry will continue to need the support of those in Washington, as this crucial industry begins its recovery.

  5. Musings and News As NYC Moves Toward Reopening

    As more and more Governors across the US give up on any attempts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Guides Association of NYC is saddened to read that Governor Cuomo is giving up on the travel quarantine requirements intended to keep everyone safe as we work toward the end of this pandemic. Of course, this policy was rarely enforced to begin with. We urge the state to maintain its mask mandate and other measures until the country reaches mass vaccination over the next few months. And we urge all Americans to get vaccinated at the earliest available opportunity.

    We understand and sympathize that, a year into this crisis, everyone is tired and restless and ready to move on. But while the end may be in sight, we are not there yet. While case numbers are dropping, tens of thousands remain hospitalized with COVID, and hundreds of Americans are still dying each day. Most Americans have not received a vaccine. All of this seems very likely to improve over the Spring months, but we urge everyone to keep their guard up during this time. We haven't come this far to give up now. And we owe it to the 530,000+ Americans who've lost their lives in the past 12 months to prevent any further pain.

    Fighting for a return to normal does not need to be a reckless endeavor.

    New York City's professional guides still believe that travel and safety can go hand in hand, and our website here contains information on our work during this crisis, including our Health & Safety Guidelines for travel. Our members have continued to provide unique experiences throughout the past year, and will continue to do so. GANYC is proud of how our members have represented their industry since last March.

    The Guides Association of NYC remains ready to work with any interested agencies or parties to help ensure a safe recovery for NYC's crucial tourism industry.

    Finally, for those interested, here is a quick roundup of reopening-related news:

    -NYC indoor dining capacity expands to 50% beginning March 19
    -Broadway theaters to open doors in April for pop-up events
    -Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum To Reopen To The Public March 25
    -NYC opening guide: Dates and details for events, museums, dining, travel, and more

  7. NYC News + Updates

    We're debuting a new, regular feature on the GANYC Blog where will provide news of interest to both New Yorkers and potential visitors. Things change fast in a city like New York, and professional tour guides always keep on top of it! Let us know if you enjoy these updates.
     

  9. Celebrate International Tourist Guide Day with GANYC!

    This coming Sunday, February 21st at 12pm EST, we are proud to be participating in a fantastic global virtual event in celebration of International Tourist Guide Day with the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) and the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (NFTGA). Our theme is the tour guide as a cultural ambassador. Two moderated panels of guides (one international and one USA-based) will discuss how tour guides represent their cities/countries/areas to visitors as cultural ambassadors. Full details for the webinar event are: HERE.

    Register directly on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fwn4s573RD6SD58OvlpD9A

  10. Another GANYC News Roundup

    Here's a final 2020 roundup of GANYC members getting news coverage:

    1. GANYC member Ibrahima Diallo is quoted in this CNBC article on virtual tours around the world helping people safely explore from home this year:
    Live virtual tours let travelers see the world from home this Christmas

    GANYC is proud at how its members adapted this year to still shine as the best guides in NYC, in-person or online. GANYC will continue to lead the way to represent NYC over the next year.

    2. GANYC member Mark Levy called in to the Brian Lehrer Show, on WNYC, to speak about the plight of tour guides in a segment about the many small businesses lost during the COVID crisis.

    Remembering Businesses Lost to COVID

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GANYC is an association of independent tour guides. Each member is licensed by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. GANYC provides a listing of all member guides to the public. GANYC is not liable, or responsible, for contractual obligations made between clients and tour guides. GANYC stands for Guides Association Of New York City.
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