Workers' rights

Local guides and drivers contracted for tours and excursion offers often have bad working conditions. The working conditions of local guides and drivers are in turn directly related to customer satisfaction and safety.

Driving and guiding personnel in tourism are often employed by specialised service providers rather than by tour operators directly. Often, those agencies do not comply with national legislation or international requirements for safety and labour standards. This concerns working hours, the content of working contracts, lack of sick leave entitlements, dismissal without warning or compensation as well as the payment of adequate salaries and tipping policies. Drivers’ and guides’ low wages often do not allow for a decent standard of living. Furthermore, drivers, guides and their helpers are often highly dependent on tips, meaning their income is highly volatile and dependent on occupancy and customer generosity.

In many cases, overtime worked by guides and drivers is neither compensated nor paid and annual leave is unpaid and can only be taken in low season. In peak season, there is often not sufficient time to rest between duties. Driving and guiding personnel’s long working hours also have a direct influence on travellers' safety.

For working conditions of porters, see risk card on Leisure and sports / Workers’ rights.