Parliament adopts new legislation for tourist guides

ANKARA

Lawmakers on April 17 accepted a legislative proposal on tourist guides aimed at easing the foreign language requirement and promoting guidance in Far Eastern languages.

The parliament alleviated the previous requirement of proving language proficiency above a certain level through an official exam, along with several qualifications for the profession.

With the new regulation, those without foreign language proficiency can obtain guide certification after undergoing training provided by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, but they can only guide Turkish tourists.

The requirement remains unchanged for guiding foreign tourists as a step to mitigate previous debates.

The proposed changes to Turkish travel laws earlier ignited a debate as tourist guides claim that removing foreign language proficiency requirements for guides will compromise professional standards and service quality in the tourism sector.

The country, which attracts tourists from several Far Eastern countries, especially China, every year has taken a step in this regard by facilitating the conditions for obtaining a tourist guide certificate for speakers of these countries’ languages.

Candidates will earn the right to become regional or national tourist guides in the foreign language by successfully completing a 100-hour training program and a practice trip.

The regulation will also pave the way to penalize tour guides who strategically steer tourists toward certain establishments for shopping or lodging, securing commissions in return from these businesses.

As part of an overarching strategy to elevate service standards within the scope of Türkiye’s tourism targets, the regulation also envisages that guides may face expulsion from the profession, while travel agencies could be subjected to a five-year suspension for such practices.