ANKARA
Lawmakers on April 17 accepted a legislative proposal on tourist guides aimed at easing the foreign language requirement and promoting guidance in Far Eastern languages.
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The parliament alleviated the previous requirement of proving language proficiency above a certain level through an official exam, along with several qualifications for the profession.
With the new regulation, those without foreign language proficiency can obtain guide certification after undergoing training provided by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, but they can only guide Turkish tourists.
The requirement remains unchanged for guiding foreign tourists as a step to mitigate previous debates.
The proposed changes to Turkish travel laws earlier ignited a debate as tourist guides claim that removing foreign language proficiency requirements for guides will compromise professional standards and service quality in the tourism sector.
The country, which attracts tourists…