Illegal tour guides still on the prowl
By Jessica Lim, The Straits Times | Fri, May 3 2013
Above: The pass of a licensed tour guide.
Illegal tourist guides are still giving holidaymakers a headache - despite greater efforts to deal with them.
In fact, licensed operators say the problem has become worse.
They complain that the illegal players poach their jobs and frequently give visitors the wrong information - with the scourge intensifying since tourist arrivals surged two years ago.
Four days ago, a group of more than 50 licensed guides met the chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to air their grievances and urge the authority to do more.
Their illegal equivalents typically come to Singapore with tour groups from countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and China.
They are escorts who double up as guides, with most of them lacking any training. This leads to tourists being given the wrong information, say the licensed operators.
The STB has been trying to deal with the problem. Last year, it carried out 250 enforcement operations, up from 200 in 2011, and 100 in 2010. It also introduced larger licence cards to make it easier to detect illegal players. Unlicensed guides face fines of up to $5,000, while those who employ them can be fined up to $2,000.
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But one problem is that the offence is neither seizable nor compoundable - meaning offenders cannot be penalised on the spot and may leave the country before investigations are complete. The regulations are being reviewed by the STB and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
In the meantime, licensed guides say illegal players are still stealing their jobs.
Mr M. Loganathan, an NTUC Tour Guide Chapter member who attended Tuesday's meeting, said his income has fallen over the past few years.
"These illegal guides are everywhere and are getting bolder," said the 53-year-old.
And in a reference to the fact that the offence is not seizable or compoundable, he said: "They know they can't be caught."
Mr Loganathan added that he earns an average of $2,000 a month, down from $3,000 last year and $6,000 in 2010.
Ms Yong Yang, a licensed tour guide since 1987, said she spotted two groups of tourists from Vietnam being shown around by unlicensed guides last week.
"I told them they should not be doing this," said the 49-year-old. "They just told me to get lost."
She added that she earns an average of $2,000 a month, down from $4,000 in 2010.
Another licensed guide, Mr Nicholas Tang, 65, said: "In the past, travel agents here would call us for work when an overseas tour group arrives. "Now they close one eye. They know their overseas partners are operating with illegal guides, but this makes their tour packages cheaper too."
It is not known how many illegal operators work in Singapore, but when The Straits Times visited the Merlion Park yesterday, several people were leading groups without their badges. They ran away when approached.
Last year, 122 complaints were lodged against unlicensed guides. There are more than 2,000 licensed ones in Singapore.
An STB spokesman said a dialogue was held with NTUC Tour Guide Chapter members on Tuesday - a regular activity conducted with industry stakeholders.
"The review of the tourist guide regulations is ongoing and the outcome will be shared when ready," she added.
