"The 2023 tourist season seems to be one of the most challenging seasons from a work point of view for tourism operators. Finally, after the difficult years of the pandemic that have practically eliminated the work activity of tourist guides and companions, tourism returns to being the protagonist of the economy of many realities in the Italian territory".
This is the opinion of Marcello Amendola, national secretary of the CUB union, who raises the alarm about illegal practices in the profession of tourist guide and escort.
"Organized trips are starting up again at full speed for both European and non-European tourists. Tourists from China and Japan are returning, as are Americans, but the age-old phenomenon of illegal tourism professions is also returning, which this year more than ever seems to have no limits. In large cities like Naples, for example, we are seeing increasingly imaginative forms of guided tours disguised as gastronomic or folkloristic experiences, offering coffee at grandma's house or tarallo at aunt's house.
All with an original or innovative idea, all proposing a real guided tour that provides the true experience of living in Naples or the novels of Elena Ferrante or the places from the fiction of Mare Fuori and Mina Settembre and in most cases not even the shadow of a professional qualification.
A perfect combination, that of successful TV dramas mixed with the celebration and enthusiasm of the championship have really brought many visitors to Naples and its surroundings, many of whom, eager to learn about the art, culture and customs of the Neapolitan city as well as enjoy the archaeological and landscape beauties of enchanting places such as Cuma, Pompeii, Sorrento or Amalfi. Many fall into the clutches of improvised characters or who in any case only want to speculate on the desire that tourists have to discover the beauties of Campania Felix so much praised since ancient times”.
However, the CUB union is not having it, in fact according to Marcello Amendola “it is necessary to guarantee a high quality standard to the final consumer, i.e. the tourist. The tourist must be guaranteed that those who present themselves as tourist guides or tour leaders are qualified people through a qualification exam and in compliance with the requirements set out in national legislation.
In suppressing the manifestations of abusive tourism professions, local police play a fundamental role. As in the past, the union will commit to transmitting requests to the authorities aimed at surveillance activities in order to stem the problem of professional abuse.
The experience that Flaica Uniti Cub Guide ed Accompagnatori Turistiche has gained over the years will be put at the service of law enforcement through a dossier that contains all the relevant legislation and a collection of the most commonly encountered cases”.
Article published on May 26, 2023 - 19:20 pm
