The Municipal By-Law Concerning Tour Guides is…. Indispensable

Montréal, August 2, 1994 — The Association professionnelle des guides touristiques, chapitre de Montréal (APGT), advocates that Municipal By-law R.R.V.M.c. G-2 be retained in order to ensure that the high quality of the personalized services offered by the City’s Tour Guides be maintained.

Given the importance of the tourism industry, the competence of Montréal guides and the jobs created locally, a Special Assembly of the members of the APGT was called on June 7th, 1994, on the eve of de-regulation. It was proposed that the Association demand the retention of the above-mentioned Municipal By-law because it stipulates, among other things, that no person may offer a guided tour in Montréal without holding a Municipal permit.

Influenced by a few out-of-town tour operators who have contravened this By-law in Montréal since 1991, and who have received warnings or fines, the Commission d’initiative et de développement économiques de Montréal (CIDEM) requested the repeal of this By-law as of January 1995.

In response to this request, the APGT would like once again to stress the importance to the Montréal Tourism industry of having competent ambassadors and promoters, and thus the necessity of controlling illegal guides.

In addition, APGT believes that tour escorts who live in other cities, as well as persons who have not completed the training program followed by Montréal guides, lack the skill to promote our city accurately and correctly, and the knowledge to inform visitors fully about our tourist attractions.

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Information:
Jean-François Perrier, President
(514) 345-6096