20.04.2020 – 11.28 – They certainly did not expect it; after all, nobody did, and if anyone knew something more, they did not speak clearly about it, leaving others with their own hypothesis.
Despite the fact that the operators of the sector– which are highly specialized professionals – were already notified about the coming Covid-19 crisis on January, this profession was virtually eliminated, overwhelmed by the disaster following the cancellations of any planned trip or holiday to and from all over the world.
In fact, for two months everything has been at a standstill, and there is not even a vague idea of when things will start again.
There is talk of at least a year, with the idea that tourism will resume around spring 2021, but it may not be enough.
“The year 2020,” they write in a letter to the press, “started with optimism because the forecasts were good, as tourism was recovering more and more. Also, thanks to the contribution that tourism professionals such as tour guides and tour leaders give to the promotion of Italy‘s vast artistic, cultural, archaeological and landscape heritage”.
Previously, tour operators, and in particular tour guides, had already had to face another crisis, that caused by unfair competition and illegal “immigration” in their profession, which has led to a situation of lack of legislative clarity in both the national legislative framework and the European freedom of movement.
“It is fashionable”, they say, “to improvise as a tour guide or tour leader, thinking that there are no laws to respect. But these professions are subject to state laws, and it is necessary to take a qualifying examination in institutional bodies.
Sometimes, it is also very hard to pass them, because there are many subjects to be dealt with: from art to history, from archaeology to geography, from legislation to museology for tour guides, from custom laws to the legislation of the different countries of the world, from transport to the habits and customs of the world for tour leaders, just to mention a few of subjects”.
But then came the pandemic, and the Italian tour guides are now completely out of
work.
The independent professionals in the sector will be able to access a contribution of 600 Euros, which is expected to be increased to 800 Euros during the next two months; it is clear, however, that this is not enough, just as it will not be enough for other professionals and self-employed workers facing everyday expenses and without a more substantial support by the State.
“We ask,” the tour guides write, “that a dignified contribution be provided, as other European countries have done, until the resumption of work, scheduled for March 2021. We ask that mortgages and installments of current loans be suspended, payments of compulsory taxes like INPS (National Institute for Social Security) and others be suspended for the whole of 2020 and the first installments of 2021.
We ask for a contribution to be given to all tourist guides and tour leaders, under different tax regimes, from freelancers, to cooperatives, to occasional services; we ask for help to be given to the families of tourist guides and tour leaders who find themselves in difficult conditions and/or fall under Law 104 for assistance, social integration and the rights of people with disabilities”.
Guides and tour leaders from all over Italy believe in a recovery of tourism as soon as possible, and are ready to adapt to the new needs caused by the spread of Coronavirus such as the need to maintain adequate distances and the use of personal protective equipment; the request for help comes from the first more strongly affected sector, many others are already followed and will follow.
Michael Guggenbichler translation
[r.s]
