Oscar Wilde’s hotel room prompts call for greater tourist guide
regulation
30 March 2009
Plans to boost London’s tourism by highlighting lesser known
attractions reinforces the need for fully-trained, regulated tour
guides, Unite, the largest union in the country, has said.
Proposals by the London Development Agency to spend £2m to lure
tourists to such sites as the hotel room in which Oscar Wilde was
arrested, have been welcomed by Unite, which embraces the
Association of Professional Tourist Guides (APTG).
But Unite/APTG, whose members hold the top Blue Badge
qualification, said that there should be a proper regulatory
framework to stop tourists being ‘ripped off’ by people
masquerading as professional tourist guides.
Unite/APTG, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year,
would like to see greater
regulation in place by the time of the 2012 London Olympics when
Britain will be visited by millions of tourists.
Unite/APTG Joint Chair, Tony McDonnell said: ‘Greater regulation
of the tourist guiding industry is very important. A professional
tourist guide can enhance your enjoyment and experience of London;
an untrained guide can ruin your day with their haphazard knowledge
and make a serious dent in your wallet.’
‘Due to our training, the London Blue Badge tourist guides know
so much more about the lesser known parts of London. Not just that
Oscar Wilde was arrested on 5 April, 1895 at the Cadogan Hotel in
Sloane Street, but which royal mistress also lived there.’
Unite/APTG is formulating its regulatory policy which will be
presented to government and other interested organisations in the
near future, and will include a code ensuring that the public are
fully protected under the health and safety legislation.
-ends-
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
Shaun Noble, Communications Officer (Third Sector) 020 7420
8951 or 07768 693 940.
Unite represents over 60,000 members in the Third Sector.
Unite press releases on the Non Profit Sector can be seen on
website: www.unitetheunion.org/nonprofit
Unite was formed by an amalgamation of Amicus and the Transport
and General Workers’ Union in May 2007.
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