Tomorrow, June 5, the verification tests for the qualification of tourist guides in Italy will officially begin. A test awaited by about 17 thousand registered candidates, organized according to a mixed model that combines local venues and online modalities.
The initiative responds to a structural demand from the tourism sector, which has long reported a shortage of qualified guides, particularly evident with the start of the summer season approaching. To address this need, the Ministry of Tourism has entrusted the management of the procedures to Formez PA, with the aim of speeding up the process and ensuring a uniform selection on a national scale. The pool of candidates is largely composed of aspiring guides already involved in the previous round of 2025, within the framework of the new national qualification system.
The qualification exam for tourist guides, now managed at the national level, represents the mandatory step to obtain the professional qualification and operate in Italian territory. After the reform of the sector, the procedures no longer have a fixed periodic cadence: announcements are published by the Ministry of Tourism based on the needs of the sector and the organization of the competitive sessions.
The tests are generally conducted on a national scale with decentralized modalities, through venues distributed across the territory and digital platforms for the written test, while the oral tests are organized in person. The system has been progressively streamlined with the aim of standardizing selection criteria and speeding up the entry of new professionals into the sector.
According to the examining commission, the test will not have a purely factual approach, but will focus on the basic knowledge of the main Italian tourist sites and the professional skills of the guide. The new protocol also provides for a simplification of the procedures and the elimination of penalties for incorrect answers, with a view to a more balanced assessment of skills.
«The sector has loudly requested the certification of skills for thousands of guides – declares the Minister of Tourism Gianmarco Mazzi -, and the offices of the Ministry are working hard to achieve the best result by the end of July»
The role of the tourist guide, increasingly central to the travel experience, is now set in an evolving context, where training, qualification, and professional updating assume a strategic role for the quality of the Italian cultural and tourist offer.
Alongside the start of the tests, there are concerns from the associations of tourist guides, which have been closely following the evolution of the new qualification system. Among the main critical points reported are the timing of the procedures, considered still not fully adequate to the needs of the sector, and the risk that the process may be excessively centralized, with difficulties in the territorial organization of the tests.
Some associations have also highlighted how the real need for guides, especially in destinations with higher tourist pressure, requires faster and more structured access mechanisms, to avoid imbalances during the summer season. Finally, the issue of continuous training and professional updating remains open, considered fundamental elements to ensure high standards in the quality of service offered to visitors.
