SPECIFICATIONS OF THE EXCURSION BUSINESS: FROM JANUARY 1, 2023 TOUR GUIDES AND INTERPRETERS WORK ACCORDING TO NEW RULES

Since January 1, the responsibility of tour guides and guide-interpreters has increased in the country, now their work will be regulated according to new rules. This is provided for by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 582 of September 2 “On excursion services”, which approved several provisions aimed at protecting the domestic excursion market.

Innovations also affected the procedure for passing professional certification, confirming the qualifications of guides and guide-interpreters.
Starting from this year, according to the document, when conducting an excursion, guides are required to carry a list of topics of excursions that were successfully protected and accepted by the certification commission, and a badge. Duplicates are also allowed. The term of the authorization is five years.

Previously, tour guides were not required to carry a list of topics that passed certification. This year the requirements have increased. For example, earlier, when the guide was certified in Grodno, he could take tourists to Novogrudok, Nesvizh and so on. Now he can conduct excursions strictly on the topics that he defended as a guide. In connection with the innovation, the passage of professional certification is causing more and more excitement among the guides, because in order for them to work successfully, they need to protect as many excursions as possible.

In the event of justified complaints from tourists about the quality of excursion services or, for example, a significant deviation of the guide from the approved topics, the validity of the certificate may be suspended for up to one year. The total validity period of the document does not change.

The resolution provides for the conditions for the suspension of the activities of the guide. Previously, this was not resorted to, but given that recently there have been cases of citizens complaining about the conduct of excursions by guides, this measure has become necessary. Conducting an excursion without relevant documents (badge and list of topics), unreliable presentation of information to tourists, its inconsistency with certified texts, as well as justified complaints about the quality of excursion services are the main grounds according to which the certificate of attestation of the guide can be suspended for up to 1 year.

Decree No. 582 also establishes the cases and procedure for the certification of audio guides, which are used in excursion services.

The main goal of certification of audio guides, emphasizes the deputy head of the sports and tourism department of the regional executive committee, is to determine whether the mobile tour accompaniment meets the requirements for voice accompaniment of text, text, photo and video images, route map and others.

Audio guides that are used during excursions in cultural organizations, educational institutions, on the territory of religious capital buildings, industrial enterprises, in specially protected natural areas, in the transportation of passengers in cases where transportation services are not included in the complex of tourist services are not subject to the decree. Audio guides are subject to certification, which are usually used during city tours.

The Decree of the Council of Ministers provides for the maintenance of a national register of guides and guide-interpreters who have passed professional certification. The full name of the guide or guide-interpreter, their contact details, the number and validity of the attestation certificate, the list of excursion topics and other relevant information in the register are publicly available. Everyone can get acquainted with it on the portal of the National Tourism Agency. This approach will allow tourists to verify in advance the quality of the excursion service.
The register also contains information about certified audio guides.