COVID-19 Resources

Throughout the COVID-19 emergency phase, GANYC acted as a leader in the US tourism industry in its proactive work on behalf of its membership.

In early March 2020, we were the first association to begin tracking tourism cancellations, collating the economic data to show the media and local and national political officials the devastating economic impact our members have suffered as one of the city's top industries shut down. We helped other organizations in lobbying to ensure freelance workers were included in federal relief laws. Our monthly meetings moved online for some time, and featured guest speakers who provided insight on how our guides could survive the crisis. We also planned professional development programs on virtual touring, and other ways to help our members adjust to a changing market. And we provided information, updates, and humor through a temporary 2020 e-newsletter, The Virgil.

GANYC was also a proud Allied Organization member of the NYC & Company Coalition for NYC Hospitality & Tourism Recovery.

Throughout 2021, we aided our members in finding vaccination appointments, and keeping them updated on the rapidly changing reopening dates and details. This ensures that our member guides are a reliable source of info as travelers return to planning New York City vacations and explorations. In 2022, we worked to help promote new city + state investments in tourism as the best way to accelerate New York's recovery.

In 2023, we continue to fight for policies that aid the recovery of this culturally + economically crucual industry.
 

Here is a further roundup of our COVID-era activities:

GANYC E-Newsletter
Archives of our regular e-newsletter can be found: HERE.

The Virgil

In this temporary 2020 e-newsletter, we had provided some humor and relief, but most importantly kept our contacts updated on topics such as: economic aid, tracking the updated data from tourism cancellations, continuing educational opportunities available to guides, stories of how our members became guides, news of loss and survival, and more.

  1. Issue 1: March 23
  2. Issue 2: March 30
  3. Issue 3: April 6
  4. Issue 4: April 13
  5. Issue 5: April 20
  6. Issue 6: April 27
  7. Issue 7: May 4
  8. Issue 8: May 11
  9. Issue 9: May 18
  10. Issue 10: May 25
  11. Issue 11: June 1
  12. Issue 12: June 8
  13. Issue 13: June 15
  14. Issue 14: June 22
  15. Issue 15: June 29
  16. Issue 16: July 13
  17. Issue 17: July 27
  18. Issue 18: August 10
  19. Issue 19: August 24
  20. Issue 20: September 7
  21. Issue 21: September 21
  22. Issue 22: October 5
  23. Issue 23: November 2
  24. Issue 24: December 7


GANYC Media Outreach

GANYC and its members have been featured in the following outlets:


Virtual Tours

Prior to preparing our guides for the ongoing return to in-person touring, we helped our membership dive into the world on virtual tours and experiences.

This will be an important skill for guides moving forward.


Professional Development Programs

On Thursday, April 23 2020, GANYC’s Education Committee organized an informative Professional Development Program (PDP) featuring Kelsey Tonner, founder and Lead Trainer of Be a Better Guide and its Online Tourism Academy. Tonner introduced the “Virtual Tour Business” online modular program he and his team developed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also fielded members’ questions about issues related to Virtual Tourism.

Then, on April 29 2020, we offered our follow-up PDP. This half featured three GANYC members-- Megan Marod, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Jeremy Wilcox-- who've created different kinds of virtual content. The PDP discussed the process and best practices for this new type of tourism experience... along with more Q&A. The goal was to provide members with a hands-on discussion to demystify the new world of virtual tourism experiences.

On May 26 2020, we offered a PDP hosted by TripSchool's Mitch Bach, entitled "Not Just Docs, The Hidden Power Tools of Google for Tour Guides". This offering took members beyond the basics and looked at the many other free tools Google offers, and how they can help tour guides. Discussed were apps like My Maps, Sites, Photos, Forms, Poly, and Earth and how they can be used effectively both behind the scenes for tour research, as a way to enhance our guests’ tour experience both online and in-person, and also for business marketing and promotion.

In late Summer 2020, we offered a 3-part PDP series on marketing, hosted by Jennifer Ackerson, president of ALON Marketing Group. She is a 25+ year veteran of the tourism industry based in New York State with direct experience working with all tourism business categories. Jennifer has an excellent understanding of tourism, the travel trade, and the visitor dynamic resulting in successful strategic tourism business development for both individual tourism businesses and destinations. Sessions included "Elevate Your Tourism Marketing" and "Marketing to the Travel Trade".

And GANYC’s Certification Committee offered two online Storytelling Workshops that utilized a Learning Management System that promises to expand ways in which GANYC can nurture and promote professional skills.

Members have access to recordings of these PDPs in our members-only digital library.


Monthly Meetings

GANYC has always held a membership meeting the first Wednesday of every month, open to the public, at sites of interest around the city. During the first months of the crisis, we moved these meetings onto Zoom. In addition to GANYC business, these first meetings featured guest speakers to discuss industry concerns, address our immediate economic needs, dealing with mental health, and more.

April 2020 meeting:


 

May 2020 meeting:


June 2020 meeting: