NIGP 96180: Tour Guide Services

NIGP 96180 Tour Guide Services, an Item code, encompasses commercial operation of water-based charter and guided tour services from public parks and waterways, as evidenced by recent state and local solicitations focusing on permit-based licensing and operational standards for tour operators. State and local governments under this code acquire guided experiential services rather than tour guides as individual personnel; the procurement focuses on vendor qualifications, insurance, regulatory compliance, and operational oversight of commercial tour operators working from public facilities. Issuing bodies include county parks departments and municipal recreation authorities managing public waterfront assets. Sarasota County represents a standout active buyer in this space, recently issuing IFB 262874FB on July 17, 2026, to award 60 commercial water-based charter boat and tour operator permits across five designated park locations, with bids due August 18, 2026. The procurement establishes minimum qualifications including two years of documented commercial water-based charter or guided excursion experience, USCG licensing (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel), Florida vessel registration, and State of Florida Division of Corporations registration. Insurance requirements are substantial: workers' compensation with $500,000 employer liability, $1 million general liability per occurrence, and $1 million marine liability per occurrence with the county as additional insured. Minimum annual permit fee starts at $1,200 per permit, with the initial term one year plus four optional one-year renewals.

Activity under this code concentrates in Florida, based on the single recent posting. Sarasota County's permit program allocates permits by zone (North and South County) with no more than two permits per company per zone and location-specific caps (Nora Patterson Bay Island Park 20 permits, Turtle Beach Park 10, Indian Mound Park 5, Marina Park and Boat Ramp in Venice 5, Nokomis Beach Public Boat Ramp 20). Permit holders must submit monthly reports documenting tour numbers, customer counts, and location data. The IFB explicitly states that no local or American business preferences apply due to grant funding requirements, narrowing competitive advantage based on residency or ownership status.