Italian tourist guides rise up in protest at EU law

Hard-earned local qualifications will mean nothing if EU and global organisations get their way

As the World Tourism Organisation heralded the billionth international passenger of the year, their Secretary General Taleb Rifai said: "Imagine the difference one tourist could make by adopting small changes, from using their towels for more than one day, to hiring a local guide or buying local products. Now imagine if these simple actions were multiplied by one billion; that is the power of one billion tourists,"

Imagine also, Mr Rifai, if these guides local knowledge, understanding and local cultural qualifications were to count for nothing as guides from global tourism companies could lead local tours without the necessity for local training or qualifications which local guides need.

Clearly locally-trained tourist guides not only provide a great service for inbound tourists, but also significantly contribute to local economies and could be said to represent the most important first rung in local tourism sustainability and a real opportunity for good local jobs.

The Italian organization Federagit – CONFESERCENTI has announced strong opposition to the adoption by the Italian parliament of an EU law allowing tourist guides from other EU countries to make up to 27 guided tours in Italy. The law states that EU-based guides are free in every European country to provide services without the need for any permission or authorization, whether general or specific.

Says Federagit – CONFESERCENTI "The lobby of the big European Tour Operators, tourism corporations are imposing their interests, dictating the rules, in a neo-colonial logic that will leave the ‘Italy without one of its most important resources."

 "By its very nature and definition, the tour guide is specialized in local tourism and culture and should not be confused with the guide who assists the group in the course of a journey. It ‘s impossible to know how to take guided tours of the whole Italian territory, whose heritage from prehistory to contemporary art and has no less than 200,000 Cultural Heritage sites. You cannot master in detail all the theoretical knowledge and the logistics of all visits. Due to the richness of Cultural Heritage, the Italian laws have established qualifications to practice as a guide covering a geographical area that you can know (provincial or regional).

The organization continued: "People from other Member countries, hired by foreign tour operators, will interpret our Italian cultural identity, with its regional diversity, telling tourists clichés of the European imagination about Italian culture. They will replace local guides in Italy leaving between 40,000 jobless guides. Even Italian Travel Agencies will suffer losses, because of the reduction of tourism jobs. And the Italian state will lose important sources of tax revenue and social security."

Support for the movement has come from around the world:

Felicitas Wressnig, President of World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations told us: "It is another assault for giving tour managers the right to guide around Europe without having specific area specific up-to date knowledge. It is obvious that someone who does not live in the region cannot have the same in-depth knowledge as the person living and working with it continuously. Greece has been forced to cut down guide training to 3 months instead of 3 years, In Madrid it is broadly the same story. It does not help guests to get the best service but it does allow tour operators to make more money.

See also:

www.confesercenti.it position

Federagit:position

Avaaz position

Valere Tjolle

SUSTAINABLE/REAL TOURISM INFORMATION & OFFERS HERE