Tom Ewart Smith
OFFICIALLY accredited tourist guides on the island of Menorca have expressed their anger and spoken out over the growing phenomenon of ‘free walking tours’.
The practice has sparked outrage among certified guides in Menorca who have accused unlicensed operators of undercutting the profession.
Unlike traditional paid tours, free tours operate on a tip-based system, where participants contribute a voluntary sum at the end of the visit depending on their satisfaction.
While increasingly popular across Europe, some guides are arguing that it devalues their work and opens the door to unchecked, untrained individuals posing as professionals.
“This is a degrading practice that, from our point of view, takes value away from our work,” said Lluis Ameller, president of the Professional Association of Tourist Guides of Menorca (Apitme), speaking to Menorca.
Criticism is not confined to local guides.
Pedro Fiol, head of the Balearic Travel Agencies Association (Aviba), has gone as far as calling for free tours to be banned altogether, describing their emergence as a ‘very negative impact’ on the sector, citing the lack of financial oversight and the encouragement of illegal activity.
The concern comes amid a post-pandemic tourism boom, which has seen demand for guided visits surge across Menorca’s rich cultural and archaeological sites, particularly the Talayotic settlements.
But with the spike in interest has come what the industry calls intrusismo – unqualified individuals offering services without the required accreditation.
To operate legally as a guide in Menorca, individuals must hold an official licence issued by the island’s governing body, the Consell Insular.
This requires passing exams, fluency in Catalan, Spanish, and two foreign languages, and possession of a university degree or higher vocational training.
Tourism graduates may also apply for automatic recognition.
Currently, there are 190 accredited guides on the island, although not all are actively working.
Ameller has accused agencies of prioritising convenience over legality, saying: “The problem is that in high season there’s a lot of work and many travel agencies just hire anyone, without checking if they’re accredited. It’s something that should be better monitored and regulated.”
He also noted that some individuals have been guiding tourists for decades without ever holding official certification – a situation he says has been ignored for too long.
While accredited guides wear visible ID badges listing their name, registration number and authorised languages, not all operators enforce these standards.
The association is now pushing for the Consell to crack down on illegal guiding with the same energy it has applied to tackling unlicensed holiday rentals.
The Consell has responded by pointing to existing enforcement efforts, including a recent €4,000 fine handed to an unaccredited individual found guiding at the Talayotic site of Trepuco. Officials also confirmed ongoing collaboration with local police.
However, Apitme believes more must be done to protect the profession.
In a planned meeting with the Councillor for Territorial and Tourism Planning, Nuria Torrent, the group will request stronger action and long-term investment in continuous professional development for accredited guides.
“People think we just go around telling silly stories, but we have to know about everything, and we’re always trying to improve our knowledge. Now we want to do it in a more structured way,” the group said.
