About Us

Our talented members are experienced in every area of hospitality work, including, but not limited to step-on and walking tours, meetings and incentive programs, team building, airport meet and greets and dine-a-rounds. We host bi-Monthly Meetings, bi-Monthly FAM trips, have a certification process for Accredited Hospitality Professionals and Certified Tour Guides, and host mixers and social outings. Our Board of Directors and Committee Chairs have decades of experience, as do many of our members.

Our Mission Statement:

To enhance the visitor’s experience in the San Diego region by ensuring a high standard of professionalism within the tour guide industry.

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Our Objectives

The purposes of the association are as follows:
A. To establish a professional standard by which individuals involved in the guided tour segment of the tour guide/hospitality industry can be measured;
B. To promote dedication, information accuracy and commitment as hallmarks of association members;
C. To raise public and private awareness of the tour guide/hospitality profession;
D. To address issues regarding the tourism industry with appropriate groups.
E. To provide a forum that enables our member to give visitors an educational and entertaining experience that embodies the spirit of the San Diego area.
F. To promote the highest degree of professionalism for our members, and to provide professional and ethical standards against which all tour guides are measured.
G. To provide an opportunity for the exchange of experiences and opinions regarding the tour guide/hospitality professions and issues pertinent to it, and to provide a forum for the development of common business interests and for camaraderie among the membership.
H. To establish a curriculum and conduct an optional course of study for the training and certification of professional tour guides and to provide continuing education for our members.
I. To cooperate with other related professions and organizations in a common endeavor to promote and enhance the public’s perception of the tourism industry.
J. To present the points of view of its members to the public and to municipal, county, state and federal agencies.

Code of Ethics:

All members of this association pledge to maintain the maximum degree of
professionalism by adhering to the association’s Code of Ethics:
• Strive for excellence in all aspects of the profession and personally guarantee the integrity and accuracy of history and facts presented
• Extend professional respect and a spirit of cooperation to fellow guides
• Maintain loyalty to the companies that contract for our services and protect the confidentiality of proprietary information
• Uphold the association’s philosophy of aspiring to excellence through a program of certification and continuing education.

Meet our Board Members

Keri Belisle

Keri Belisle

President

Keri has been in the tour business for 35 years. She started out driving tours and now focuses on tour guiding locally as well as to various destinations in southern CA, the California Coast and the Pacific Northwest.
Victor Knarreborg

Victor Knarreborg

Vice-President

Victor, a native San Diegan, wants visitors to have a memorable experience of San Diego they cannot get on their own.  His tours frequently are the highlight of their visit here.  It is his passion and his success since 2011.
Kris Dawson

Kris Dawson

Secretary

Kris is a volunteer tour guide and docent with the Balboa Park Forever Visitor Center and the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House. He recently opened his own walking tour and people walking service called I Walk San Diego.
Karen Achtenhagen (CMP)

Karen Achtenhagen (CMP)

Treasurer

Karen has worked AFC Vacations Operations/Product Development since October 2021 and previously worked at DayTripper Tours in Product Development February 2011 – June 2020. In addition, she operates her own company, KLA Enterprises, in which she plans and manages events in the area.
Annemarie Ausland

Annemarie Ausland

Membership Chair

Bio Coming Soon!
Suzanne Fuselier

Suzanne Fuselier

Certification Chair

Suzanne is a passionate ambassador for the fair city of San Diego.  She relishes the opportunity to share with visitors a transformational travel experience of San Diego’s historic sites, world famous venues, fascinating neighborhoods and breath-taking landscapes.