Problems relating to Trade and Investment on France
24. Indigested legislation, abrupt changes |
|||
Issue |
Issue details |
Requests |
Reference |
| (1) Changed Requirements for Tour Guide Qualification | - As of today, an applicant for tour guide qualification must complete three courses among graduate/master courses. The passage of the Bill, in "Parlement francais" (in French Parliament) of "Loi de simplification de la vie des Entreprises" (the Bill on 'Act for the Simplification of the Life of Enterprises')" has been prompted by the move toward simplification: "granting licence without the three courses." Should the Bill pass the parliament, all completing graduate/master courses in history of arts, History, etc., from other EU Member states will receive the licence to work as guide in France without having to receive the professional training for tour guide, with the qualification to register at registre, moreover, "irrespective of the foreign language proficiency." It will go nowhere but toward degradation of the tour guide quality. Moreover, "Any person with the nationality of one of the EU member states has freedom to work in any other EU member states."For example, it is quite possible any person with a EU nationality holding the guide registration qualification, satisfying the academic qualifications, may come to France and work as tour guide. Such tour interpreters employed as tour escorts, visiting France with large tourist groups, could result in deterioration of not only service but also tour quality to tourists, including those from Japan. - Resident Japanese tour guides in Paris are aging. However, due to French government's discontinuation of Tour Guide Test, these guides now run short. If nothing were done now, in a few years, there would be no Japanese-speaking guides. |
- Provision of tour guide service by non-EU external tour guides violates labour act, while the language issue comes first for guiding visitors from such countries. Actually, "to the tour guides in the languages, rare and small in use such as Japanese, the legislative prohibition does not surface in reality as a serious problem." However, it is incumbent upon France, rich in cultural heritage, great also on tourism, to provide tour guides of an equally high quality level comparable to its great cultural heritage. - At this time, the following 3-interpreter-guide organisations are negotiating with the competent authority: (1) FNGIC (Federation Nationale des Guides Interpretes et Conferenciers), (2) SNCG(Syndicat National des Guides Conferenciers= former Conferenciers), and (3) ANCOVART(Association Nationale des Guides Conferenciers des Villes et pays d' Art et d' histoire) - In any event, we, enterprises in tourism business have no alternative but listening to the authority's direction. We wish to protect those now in tour guide professions. - At the initiative of the abovementioned 3-organisations, arrangements are on schedule for meetings and street demonstrations. It is hoped that meetings and demonstrations will not impact tourists from Japan. - It is requested that GOF takes steps to have the France Tourism Development Agency revive "the test for guide licence in Japanese/French". |
- L. 221-1.Law on the the Simplification of the Life of Enterprises, Article 4 (On the Qualification for conducting Guided Tours in the Museums and the Monuments in France) (http://www.legifrance. gouv.fr/ affichLoiPreparation.do? idDocument=JORFDOLE 000029134377&type= contenu&id=2&typeLoi= proj&legislature=14) |
<<BACK |