So-called free tours are widespread in Prague
As Vinegret.cz notes, in 2008 amendments to the law on private entrepreneurship included the profession of guide in the list of free types of activities. This means that absolutely any registered entrepreneur can offer guide services. No additional licenses or qualification confirmation are required for this.
For this reason, the quality of tours in the Czech capital varies greatly. Many tourists complain about the poor training of guides, who either do not know history or seriously distort it.
Today, free tours are common in the center of Prague, where guides gather groups right on the street. Participants are not required to pay money in advance, but are asked to thank the guide at the end of the walk if they liked the tour. The amount of remuneration is left to the discretion of the tourist.
Many of these guides not only lack proper qualifications, but are also not officially registered as entrepreneurs, which is a direct violation of the law. They do not pay taxes and do not make social contributions, while law-abiding and qualified guides remain without work.
Earlier, the Association of Tour Guides of the Czech Republic asked the government to exclude the profession from the list of free types of activities and introduce a mandatory professional aptitude exam for entrepreneurs, after which to issue a corresponding certificate and a single distinctive sign to make them easier to control in the future. But the initiative did not find support in the cabinet of ministers.
In the spring of 2017, the association appealed directly to the Prague magistrate, and the matter moved forward. The city authorities created a special working group, which prepared amendments to the law on the conditions for conducting business activities. "The Prague monument reservation is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, so only trained licensed guides should work here," said the head of the working group, Jaroslava Janderová.
Most likely, the process of discussing and approving the document will drag on, since it concerns changes to the business law and affects several "cumbersome" specialized departments at once. Prague itself, without the support of parliament, cannot change the situation in any way.