The summer season is in full swing in Montreal, which welcomes approximately 11 million visitors each year. Alongside them, illegal guides are increasingly numerous. Aware of the problem, the Plante administration plans to change the regulations governing the practice of the profession, but does not rule out the possibility of removing the requirement to hold a permit, to the great displeasure of certified guides and tourist agencies. Second article in a series of five on tourism in Montreal.
“I can understand the lack of resources, but removing the permit will just make the situation worse,” worries Michel Ménard, president of the Association professionnelle des guides touristique de Montréal (APGT). A passionate guide — and in good standing — for about fifteen years, he fears a deprofessionalization of his profession.
“The license is a guarantee of quality. Being a guide is not a job “Student or a side hustle, it’s a job in itself. We have complete training, we update our knowledge, we don’t talk nonsense,” he emphasizes.
Montreal is one of the few cities in North America—along with Quebec City and New York—that requires a permit to work as a tour guide. Valid for one year, the permit costs $105 and is obtained after completing 240 hours of training (at a cost of around $2,500) provided by the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ). In addition to teaching guiding techniques and the history of Montreal, the program includes topics such as urban planning, architecture, public art and real estate.
Municipal bylaw G-2, which governs the tourist guide industry, provides for a fine of $100 to $300 for a first offence. In the event of a repeat offence, the fine increases to $1,000. On paper at least, because in reality, the bylaw is not applied, which is deplored by the APGT and several tourist companies contacted by The duty.
Montreal confirms that it has not issued any tickets to illegal guides in recent years. It explains to Duty wanting to focus “more on promoting the profession of guide rather than on repression”. To those involved in the field, she indicates that she has difficulty applying her regulations and therefore wants to update them.
“The City has begun a broad reflection in order to modify the regulations. It is giving itself the current season to make the necessary assessments,” confirmed spokesperson Hugo Bourgoin by email.
Invited to participate in the discussion, the APGT, the ITHQ, Tourisme Montréal and agency representatives must meet with the Plante administration this fall to propose solutions.
Could the mandatory permit — and the training that comes with it — be abandoned? “The city is considering all options,” Bourgoin replied.
Fighting against illegal guides
The community recognizes the need to dust off Regulation G-2. “The current regulations are outdated and must be adapted to meet contemporary realities,” says Aurélie de Blois, spokesperson for Tourisme Montréal.
But all the stakeholders consulted say they still believe in the relevance of requiring a permit and training. It is about “Montreal’s reputation, recognized for the professionalism of its welcome,” maintains ITHQ communications director Josée Legault. The school is aware that at the end of the discussions, it may be necessary “to adjust its training offer.”
According to the APGT and companies offering guided tours, the mandatory permit is an essential tool to combat fake guides. The latter have been multiplying in recent years, hired by large international companies that offer low-cost tours on platforms such as Airbnb, Booking or Viator. Without a permit or training, they improvise as tourist guides and give incomplete or even false information to visitors.
As of today, for the year 2024, Montreal has 183 certified guides. It is impossible to know the exact number of illegal guides who travel the city alongside them. According to the APGT, more than 5,000 people each year take a tour with a non-certified guide, which gives an idea of the scale of the phenomenon.
Unfair competition
The co-founder of Local Food Tours, Frédérik Nissen, also denounces the unfair competition from these international companies which are undermining the survival of local tourism businesses, including his own.
Mr. Nissen has been offering food tours in Mile End for 12 years. However, for the past five years, the international company Secret Food Tour, operating in more than 50 cities around the world, has been offering the same tour. As a result, Frédérik Nissen has seen a 50% to 70% drop in bookings for this tour and has had to diversify its offering.
“It’s unfair competition!” he laments. “Companies like this don’t charge GST or QST and certainly don’t pay taxes in Quebec. We do. They also hire non-certified guides at a lower salary. In this context, it’s easy to offer cheaper tours that customers will prefer.”
“Applying the G-2 regulation is one of the only solutions to block this wild international capitalism in our area. I hope that the City will open its eyes and make the right choice,” he emphasizes.
How do you know if your guide is certified?