The Ministry of Tourism has officially certified 804 new tour guides and unveiled the new national identification card, produced in collaboration withthe State Printing Office and Mint. The announcement came on Saturday, a symbolic day for the tourism sector, coinciding with the start of a pilot program for nighttime openings of the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome and the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. In this context, the Ministry presented a measure intended to impact the organization of the tour guide profession by introducing an official card that will certify the certification of professionals registered in the National Register of Tour Guides.
At the same time, the Ministry announced that Formez has published the results of the national licensing exam on the inPA portal. As previously announced, a total of 804 candidates passed the exam, and for 455 of them, the administrative checks required to obtain final certification have already been successfully completed. The procedures for certifying and registering these new tour guides are therefore currently underway.
“Mission accomplished for industry professionals, who have long highlighted the severe shortage of guides in the face of ever-increasing tourist numbers,” stated Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi, emphasizing that the completion of the licensing procedures represents a long-awaited milestone for the entire sector.
In addition to welcoming new professionals, the Ministry is introducing an identification system intended to become the official standard for practicing the profession. The new identification card will, in fact, be mandatory and linked to registrationin the National Register of Tourist Guides—the registry established to list all professionals authorized to operate in Italy. Starting August 26, guides already registered in the national registry will be able to request the card by accessing the Ministry of Tourism’s digital platform. The card will be produced by the State Printing Office and Mint, which will create a laminated card equipped with the anti-counterfeiting technologies typically used for government-issued securities. The goal is to make the document difficult to counterfeit and to provide a tool capable of immediately distinguishing duly licensed professionals from those practicing the profession illegally. For the Ministry, in fact, combating illegal practice is one of the central elements of the reform, along with enhancing the professionalism of guides and protecting tourists.
According to the Ministry, the collaboration with the Poligrafico will not be limited to the physical production of the card. The Institute will also provide the technological platform that, by integrating with the Ministry of Tourism’s portal, will enable the management of the entire process of issuing and distributing the card, including direct delivery to the professionals’ homes.
For tourists, the new system aims to provide an additional assurance when choosing professionals to rely on during guided tours and cultural itineraries. Through the official card, it will be possible to identify state-certified guides with greater certainty, helping to raise the quality of tourism offerings and build trust in guided tour services. For industry professionals, on the other hand, the new card has been presented as a tool for professional recognition and protection of the profession. The existence of a national identification system should, in fact, help curb the phenomenon of unlicensed practice, which trade associations have for years identified as one of the sector’s main problems.
“On the day that the pilot program for the nighttime opening of major Italian monuments—such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome and the Castello Sforzesco in Milan—begins,” the minister stated, “we are proud to present a groundbreaking initiative and, at the same time, a promise fulfilled that confirms the commitment of the Meloni government and our Ministry to promoting, as never before, the role of the tour guide.” Mazzi also highlighted the objectives of the new certification system: “We are focusing on safety and technology to ensure the professionalism and protect the rights of over 17,000 guides dedicated to welcoming tourists to Italy. This is a decisive step toward combating unlicensed operations and guaranteeing safety and quality in the sector.”
Finally, the Ministry of Tourism notes that all information regarding operational procedures, registration for the National Register of Tour Guides, and the application for the new ID card is available on the ministry’s official website. The start of distribution of the new card on August 26 will thus mark the beginning of a new phase for the profession, characterized by a uniform identification system, enhanced security measures, and greater control over access to the tour guiding profession in Italy.
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| New Tour Guides: The Ministry Certifies 804 Professionals and Launches the Official ID Card |
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