Tourist Guide Association of Nepal (TURGAN) is, in reality, a representative body of Tourist Guides or escorts, who are, and have been engaging themselves, throughout the country, in the field of guiding, teaching and lecturing the in-coming tourists or lay visitors at the sight, who come to Nepal in the quest of gathering knowledge and understanding, in regard to its history, culture, social life, flora and fauna, etc. The associated member-guides of this organization are all well qualified and have been trained intensively from the then government approved "Hotel Management and Tourism Training Centre (HMTTC) and, with the possession of, at least, graduate degree obtained from the approved university. The erstwhile HMTTC'S name has now being changed to stand as Nepal Academy of Tourism & Hotel Management- NATHM). In addition to English, the guides do also speak other international languages. Hence, the organization is proud of having the congregation of guides, speaking almost all the languages of the world, apart from the international one.
A bunch of dedicated and well qualified Tourist Guides, involved in the profession of guiding and lecturing the visitors in Nepal, sat down in a meeting in 1989 and, after long deliberation, decided unanimously to form an organization with the objective of safeguarding and protecting their interest. Such a wishful thinking and subsequent effectual endeavor, taken up by them, finally culminated in the establishment, on the same year, of this august body named as "Tourist Guide Association of Nepal" With the name being figured out, and charter of the organization being prepared by the lawyer, it was duly registered in the concerned Department of Nepal Government to have its legal sanctity and status. Now it enjoys full authority and recognization in the tourism fraternity of Nepal as well. TURGAN now forms part as one of the fifteen tourism organizations of national level in terms of providing advices, services and expertise to the government or to the local bodies whenever broad policy matters, concerning the tourism promotion and advancement, is to be discussed and finally approved.
In regard to the definition of a Tourist Guide, it is mentioned in the charter of TURGAN, that the guide is a person who has obtained training in Hotel Management & Tourism Training Centre (now it is called NATHM) and officially be holding a valid guiding license, to be widely and effetely used for all over the country, issued and directed by the Nepal's government Department of Tourism. Those who do not come under this purview of qualification and possession of valid license, will be debarred from guiding tourists, as an illegal act, subject to punishment, according to the prevailing law of the land.
TURGAN as an Organization TURGAN'S supreme organizational set-up is the assembly of all the registered bona fide members which is called The General Body. The general meeting of this body takes place every year to decide on the policy matters including election and other subjective issues. The general body reserves the right to nominate 11 members team, through the election procedure, as being the official functioning Executiv Committee of TURGAN, which will be comprised of a President, two first and second Vice Presidents, General Secretary, Secretary, Treasurer and four members with the Past President becoming inevitably as one of the members too. The term of office for the Executive Committee, in accordance to the charter, will be for three years period.