Puglia’s lawmakers have, finally, passed legislation requiring tour guides to be licensed and regulated. For too long, Puglia was the only one of Italy’s 20 regions in which tour guides were not subject to government oversight. The move by Puglia’s governing Consiglio is being praised by the region’s professional tour guides, including members of the Associazione Guide Turistiche della Regione Puglia (AGTRP; www.assoguidepuglia.it), who had long lobbied the government to pass regulations overseeing the guide business to bar those who prey on unsuspecting travelers.

This is good news for the guides, visitors and Puglia’s tourism industry for a variety of reasons. First, the new rules guarantee the quality of the guided-tour experience, as visitors will be assured that any licensed guides they hire have been certified as experts in the subject matter of the tours they lead. Second, tour guides’ fees will be fixed in advance, in writing, eliminating price gouging and last-minute surprises about payments. Third, regulation opens the door to the further professionalization of Puglia’s tourism industry and can, in time, lead to the creation of professional-level career opportunities within this important sector of Puglia’s economy. Fourth, it helps to elevate Puglia’s cultural heritage as professional tour guides will be encouraged to work to accommodate niche tourism markets such as food and wine, religion, history, art, archeology and architecture.

One of our Bari-based professional tour guide associates, who is a member of AGTRP, explains it this way: “There will be soon a professional register in which only authorized guides will be recorded...(To obtain) the authorization, or license, and be recorded as a professional guide, it will be necessary to pass an examination on different subjects, including cultural topics, art history, touristic techniques and laws...” Applicants must possess a three-year university degree in order to qualify to take the qualifying examination, he said, adding, “This is true for touristic guides, tour leaders, touristic interpreters, naturalistic guides, sports guide, and tour and convention hosts.”

Those within Puglia’s existing tourism industry who can document through financial records that they have worked as professional tour guides in the region for at least five of the past 10 years Puglia will be licensed automatically, with no need to pass any examination, he added. “All the AGTRP guides are in this situation,” the guide explained. “So for us it is an important law, because at last all the guides in Puglia will provide a quality service and for previously fixed prices.”

A Lecce-based professional tour guide who also is a member of AGTRP said she welcomes the regional government’s action to regulate her business. “At last!” she writes to us. “There will be exams for all people who want to become tour guides or leaders…It’s a big goal, after years of struggle, to be recognized...It’s so great! I hope that this will improve tourism in Puglia.”

Our professional tour guide associates in Puglia have been telling us for years of the need for regulation of their industry. We join them in applauding the government’s latest move to professionalize Puglia’s tourism industry and improve the visitor experience.