Larger cities: tour guide apps will become mandatory

City trips and guided tours are one of the highlights of a holiday for many people. But did you know that in some cities, the use of technical equipment is now mandatory for city tours? These regulations are not only intended to increase comfort and comprehensibility for tourists, but also to improve the quality of life for local residents. In this blog post, you can find out which cities have introduced these regulations, how they are monitored and the benefits for everyone involved.

Why is technical equipment mandatory?

The main reasons for introducing mandatory technical equipment for city tours are:

1. Improved communication: By using audio guides or tour guide apps, tour participants can hear the guide's explanations clearly and without distracting background noise. This is particularly beneficial in noisy and busy cities.

2. Reduced noise pollution: Guides no longer have to speak loudly to be heard, which significantly reduces noise pollution for local residents and other tourists. The voice is also spared.

3. More efficient tours: Modern apps and devices make it possible to organise and design tours better. For example, participants can call up additional information at certain points or plan their own routes.
    

Examples from practice

Madrid is one of the cities that has recently introduced regulations for the use of audio guides. Here, city guides must use special apps that allow participants to follow the tour via headphones. 

Rome has also introduced similar regulations. Here, guided tours in popular tourist districts are now only conducted with radios and headsets. This helps to manage the large number of tourists and protect the historical sites at the same time.

In Croatia, too, a voice transmission system is now mandatory for free walking tours of 20 people or more. Incidentally, elysium is already being used successfully for guided tours here. 
 

Monitoring and enforcement of the regulations 

Compliance with these regulations is monitored in various ways:

1. Regular inspections: Cities such as Madrid and Rome carry out regular inspections. Officials accompany tours on a random basis and check whether the prescribed equipment is being used  (Tiqets).

2. Licensing and certification: City guides often have to present a licence confirming that they have and use the necessary technical equipment. These licences are regularly checked and renewed (TourScanner).

3. Reports and complaints: Residents and tourists have the opportunity to report offences. Many cities have set up special hotlines or online forms that can be used to report noise nuisance or other problems (TourScanner).

4. Technical solutions: Some cities use digital monitoring technologies. For example, apps could be equipped with GPS tracking to ensure that they are used correctly. This data can be used by the authorities for verification (Tiqets)​.
    

Advantages for tourists and residents

The introduction of technical equipment for city tours offers numerous advantages:

• Better intelligibility: by using audio guides and headsets, all participants can hear the guide's explanations clearly, regardless of background noise.
  Flexible organisation: Modern apps often offer additional information and allow participants to plan individual routes or explore certain points of the tour at their own pace.
  Less disturbance: Local residents benefit from reduced noise pollution as guides no longer have to speak loudly. This contributes to a higher quality of life in tourist areas.
   

Conclusion

The introduction of mandatory technical equipment for city tours is a step in the right direction. Not only does it improve the experience for tourists, but it also helps to improve the quality of life for local residents and protect historical sites. The next time you plan a city tour, find out about local regulations in advance and enjoy the benefits of modern technology. 
 

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