Greek Tour Guides Appeal To European Commission Against Tourism Ministry

The Panhellenic Tourist Guide Federation has sent an appeal to the European Commission to urge the Greek Government to reconsider its policy towards the tourist guide profession and training.

The federation states in a press release that, since 2010, Greece has been violating European legislation and more specifically the Directive EC/2005/36 on the recognition of professional qualifications by the Hellenic Republic.

According to the national legislation implementing the Directive, Greece must regularly offer the chance to the established applicants/tourist guides from other EU countries to go through an adaptation period with compensation measures in order to recognize their qualifications.

The federation argues that EU applicants that have chosen practical training as a measure are still waiting to receive training as “the vocational Schools of Tourist Guides are kept closed since 2009 by the Ministry of Tourism and there is no other official body responsible to organize examinations, studies or practical training for tourist guides from Greece or for those coming from other EU member-states.”

Greek Ombudsman: No measures required

Moreover, the federation pointed out that in December 2013, the Greek Ombudsman published a recommendation, that EU applicants/established tourist guides should receive the recognition of their professional qualifications by the Ministry of Tourism without going through any compensation measures at all since the Greek Schools of Tourist Guides do not regularly function.

“The Ministry of Tourism obviously doesn’t care whether their country’s tourist guides are properly trained and qualified to be able to offer the high quality guiding services they have been offering to the visitors of Greece for many decades, but we do,” the federation underlined.

To read the federation’s full announcement, press here.