Tourist guides and free tours: A controversial relationship

Abstract

Like other tourism subsectors, guided tours have been affected by the emergence of the sharing economy. Although this subsector of tourism is not as well known, it constitutes an interesting scenario for studying these new business models and it is also generating debate. This article analyses the uniqueness of the tourist guide services provided through online platforms under the name of free tours. The study includes a bibliographical revision and it is carried out from a qualitative methodology based on a survey conducted among tourist guide professionals and in-depth interviews. The study analyses the point of view of professionals in the guiding sector from 11 European cities subject to common regulations. It aims to determine how they are affected by the free tours as well as to assess their relationship with this new activity, a complex relationship with many controversial elements in terms of labour, tax and organisation. It will be shown that the free tours respond to the trends of contemporary society but are not an expression of the collaborative consumption among equals, but rather an effective marketing strategy.

Examining the impact of the platform economy on Spain’s cultural destinations through the lens of free tours

“…Despite the accelerated boom of the collaborative economy and the role played by the internet in tourism distribution, the literature review yields an analysis that coincides with the statement of Navalón-García & Mínguez (2021), who attest that such activity, emerging in the tourism sector, has not been researched to date. Hence, this work is original and contributes to the literature on the subject.…”

“…While they contribute to economic development, they also raise concerns that must be carefully considered and managed. Stakeholders in the tourism platform economy must recognise and address these contradictions to achieve a more sustainable and balanced approach that aligns with the broader goals of destination development and the well-being of local communities (Navalón-García & Mínguez, 2021).…”

“…Free city tours (free tours, free guided tours or free walking tours) have emerged as a growing trend in tourism (Lane & Woodworth, 2016) and have generated an incipient debate due to their potential impact on the sustainability of tourist destinations (Navalón-García & Mínguez, 2021). A free tour is a guided tour that is characterised by two elements: Free tour does not have a pre-established price, but a tip is paid at the end of the tour. The guide does not always have an official certificate as a local tourist guide (García & Ruiz, 2022).…”

Finding Opportunities in Uncertain Times. The Case Study of a Tourist Guides Venture in the EU

“…A recently emerged, new aspect in research on entrepreneurship among guides is the relationship between licensed and experienced guides with a new phenomenon emerging on the basis of the sharing economy and the tourist guides profession regulation withdrawal, namely free guided tours. Free guides operate from online platforms, their income is variable and based on tips [83]. Although the presented research did not bring up the problem of free guides, members of the Initiative Group were asked about the existence of similar organizations.…”