Fast Facts about the CTPA

Click here to download an Adobe (.pdf) two-page CTPA FACT SHEET, an easy-to-print summary of information about our organization. It includes the information found on this and other pages of our website.

Organization's Purpose:

To promote and maintain high standards of proficiency, excellence and integrity within the tour guiding profession.

Date Founded:

June 29th, 1990

Incorporated:

February 1991 as a Not-For-Profit Corporation

Membership:

Membership is open to tour guides, individuals who would like to become tour guides, destination management company owners and principals, event planners, transportation companies, others serving the tour industry or individuals who are interested in sharing information about and promoting tourism in the metro Chicago area. Members regularly work with convention groups and visitors to the city, providing meet and greet assistance at the airport, conducting general city highlight tours as well as specialized tours for business, educational or entertainment purposes. Many CTPA guides have special abilities such as fluency in a foreign language or advanced training in areas such as music, the arts, architecture, history, technology or business. To find out more, visit our membership page.

Membership Breakdown By Category:

Membership Fees:

• Dues are assessed for a calendar year. "Early Bird" fees must be postmarked by Dec 31th.
• Fees are used to produce and distribute the Membership Directory, Newsletter and Meeting Announcement mailings and cover other expenses of the organization as needed.

Member Benefits:

• Annual Directory of Members compiled in early February, includes a short self-written biography about one's education, training, abilities and/or availability. The Directory also includes a list of guides with foreign language skills, a summary of the history of the CTPA and information on the organization's professional affiliations (NFTGA-USA and WFTGA).
• Newsletter and Meeting Announcement Mailings (as needed throughout the year).
• Participation in Meetings, Optional Educational Programs, Spotlight Events and "Show Us Your Neighborhood" tours.
• Inclusion on Mailing Lists / Special Privileges and Invitations. Adler Planetarium, Sears Tower Skydeck, John Hancock Observatory, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium and others have invited the membership to enjoy special invitations and privileges.
• Eligibility to take the CTPA Certification Test. This mastery test may be taken after a year of guiding experience. Upon successful completion, the individual is a "Certified Tour Guide."
• Representation in the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations-USA (NFTGA) www.nftga.com & the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) www.wftga.org

Officers:

Officers are elected are may serve multiple terms.

Committees:

Committee Members are appointed by the President and serve for one year. Committee Chairs serve for two years and are members of the Board of Directors. The CTPA President is an ad-hoc member of all committees.
Active committees: Education, Certification, Membership, and (in an election year) Nomination.

Meetings & Events:

• Meetings (with a business component) and Spotlight Events (social affairs) take place 6 to 10 times per year and have an educational focus. In general, meetings are held at venues around town to expose the membership to new locales, renovated facilities and special exhibits and seasonal opportunities.
• Meetings are generally scheduled early in the week (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesdays) at or after 5:30 p.m. (to allow the membership to finish a 9-to-5 job and get to the meeting location.)
• Many locations that host meetings also furnish refreshments - coffee/cookies, soda/chips, wine/cheese, etc.

Click to view the 2012 Meetings, Events, Tours and Special Invitations

Certification Test:

The CTPA Certification Test was developed to be a mastery test - not a qualifications test. To be eligible to take the test, the applicant must be a CTPA member and have worked as a guide for at least one year. Passing the test requires accurate knowledge of Chicago history, geography, transportation, museums, cultural attractions, landmark buildings, sculpture, neighborhoods and venues of interest to visitors - the information given on a 3 or 4-hour comprehensive Chicago City Highlights Tour. The CTPA Certification Test has 3 parts. The parts must be taken in order and a pass grade achieved to advance. The test parts are: written test, oral/slide identification and vehicle routing.

---

The CTPA accepts no legal responsibipty for inaccuracies of all or any portion of the information contained in the website.
It also accepts no legal responsibipty for any opinions or representations made by sites to which it may be linked.