A new regulation regarding tourist guides and agencies has come into effect

The 'Law Amending the Tourist Guiding Profession Law and the Travel Agencies and the Association of Travel Agencies Law,' introducing new regulations for tourist guides and travel agencies, has been published in today's issue of the Official Gazette and entered into force.

According to the law, to become a tourist guide, one must be a Turkish citizen, be at least 18 years old, graduate from associate, bachelor's, or master's programs in tourism guiding departments of universities or from other departments at the bachelor's level or higher, and successfully complete a national or regional tourist guiding training program organized by associations or specialized public institutions designated by the Ministry, in languages determined by considering the needs of the tourism sector, in designated areas, and in accordance with the regulations governing courses and exams.

Among the requirements for tourist guiding, candidates must obtain a minimum score of 75 in the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam (YDS) conducted by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) within the last five years before the application date or hold a foreign language proficiency certificate equivalent to the YDS score accepted by ÖSYM. For languages not included in ÖSYM's exam calendar in the year requested by the Ministry, successful completion of a foreign language exam administered by associations or specialized public institutions designated by the Ministry is required.

Additionally, to become a tourist guide, candidates must not have been sentenced to imprisonment for one year or more for an intentional crime and must not have been convicted of crimes against the security of the state, crimes against the constitutional order and its functioning, crimes against national defense, crimes against state secrets and espionage, embezzlement, extortion, bribery, theft, fraud, forgery, abuse of trust, fraudulent bankruptcy, interference with bidding, interference with performance of duties, money laundering, or smuggling.

Furthermore, for candidates who have completed undergraduate education in languages of the Far East, determined by the Ministry to meet the tourism potential, except for tourism guiding departments of universities, the requirement to complete a national or regional tourist guiding training program organized by associations or specialized public institutions designated by the Ministry is waived.

If travel agencies send customers' information to another business without their consent, their licenses will be revoked, and they will be prohibited from operating as agencies for five years.