1909 Regulation of Tourist Interpreters Guides. Carried out by the National Tourism Commission.
1929 Regulation of National Interpreters Guides, Guides, Provincial Guides and Guides mail free of Tourism. Made by the National Tourist Board.
1939 New Regulations modifying the previous Regulations. Performed by the Directorate General of Tourism (During the Civil War National Service of Tourism.)
1947 New Regulations (Ministerial Orders of the Government). Carried out by the Directorate General of Tourism.
1951 New Regulations (Ministerial Order). Carried out by the Ministry of Information and Tourism.
1952 Guides Regulations. The Ministry of Information and Tourism.
1954 Ministerial Order amending the previous Regulations. Carried out by the Ministry of Information and Tourism.
1964 Order of 31 January 1964. Regulation for the exercise of private tourist and informative activities. Carried out by the Ministry of Information and Tourism. Three figures appear:
- Tourist Guides: The appointment of a tourist guide authorizes its holder to accompany tourists and travelers in their visits to the towns included in the district that is expressed in the same, in order to inform them, in Spanish language, about the most outstanding aspects of the tourist heritage of the places they visit. (Elementary Baccalaureate)
Interpreters Guide: The appointment of a Tourist Guide-Interpreter is authorized to accompany foreign tourists during their visits to the towns included in the demarcation expressed therein, in order to inform them, in the languages they have proven knowledge of, about the most outstanding aspects of the heritage of the places visited. (Higher Baccalaureate)
(University Degree).
1965 Order 31st July 1965. Tourism studies are created, which the previous regulation, is modified in terms of how to obtain the Interpreter Guide card, since it can be obtained directly once these studies are completed.
1994 The Kingdom of Spain, on 22 March 1994, is condemned by the EEC for failing to comply with the freedom to provide services:
By making access to the profession of Tourist Guide and Interpreter Guide subject to passing exams reserved only for Spanish citizens;
By not establishing a procedure for examining and comparing the training acquired by a Community citizen who holds a certificate of guide issued in another Member State in relation to that required in Spain, a procedure which allows either to recognise the certificate issued by that Member State or to subject the person in possession of the certificate to a check limited to the subjects it has never studied, if their training is incomplete in accordance with Spanish criteria.
By requiring the professional card, proof of having acquired a proven or confirmed training through an examination, for the provision of services as a tour guide and guide-interpreter travelling with a group of tourists from another Member State, when this service is provided in Spain, in localities in a specific geographical area and which consists of accompanying these tourists to places other than museums or historical monuments where it is necessary to use a special guide.
As it has not communicated to the Commission the information required on the regulations of the Autonomous Communities in the field of tourist guide and interpreter-guide activities.
1995 As a consequence of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, previously commented on, the Ministry of Commerce and Tourism by Order of 1 December 1995 repealed the Order of 31 January 1964, approving the Regulation for the exercise of private tourist and information activities. This created a regulatory vacuum in the Andalusian Autonomous Community, until the activity of the Tourist Guides was regulated on 3 June 1997.
1996 The Department of Tourism and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía, drafts Decree 152/1997, of 3 June, which regulates the activity of the Tourist Guides of Andalusia.
1997 The Tourism and Sports Council of the Andalusian Regional Government publishes the Order of 23 March 1998, by which the first tests to obtain the qualification as Tourist Guides of Andalusia are called.
1998 The Department of Tourism and Sport, of the Junta de Andalucía, promulgates the Tourism Law, Law 12/1999 of 15 December (BOJA nº 151, of 30 December). In article 49, it mentions the Guides of Tourism, referring to the regulation 152/1997, and curiously enough it appears in the fourth transitory provision, an extraordinary summons to accede to the condition of Guide of Tourism of Andalusia, in which the only requirement to accede to this summons is to be of age and member of an EU state.
2002 Decree 201/2002 of 17 December, On Travel Agencies and Central Reserve Agencies, in its CHAPTER VI. The exercise of the travel agency activity. Article 24. Tourist information.
- When carrying out group trips, and for the duration of the same, travel agencies must make available to tourists one or more qualified persons for their assistance and guidance, not being able to perform these functions the drivers of the means of transport.
- These effects, collective travel is understood to be the trip made up of more than ten tourists.
- When group trips include visits to museums or properties inscribed in the General Catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage, travel agencies should take into account that the information service on cultural, artistic, historical, natural and geographical information on such properties is reserved for Andalusian tourist guides, in accordance with the geographical scope of their qualification, this service being provided in accordance with Decree 214/2002, of 30 July 2002, regulating the regulations of the Spanish Government.
2003 Order of July 28th, regulates course for inscription in the Register of Tourism of Andalusia of tourism professionals with definitive qualification.
Source: Document written by José Antonio Puerto Ortuño, Granada tourist guide.