Fes: Over 800 “faux guides” arrested in 2006
Over 800 unlicensed guides were arrested in Fes during 2006, the local tourism police says.
The tourism brigade in Fes arrested 840 people last year for fraud and impersonating an official guide, Moroccan news agency MAP says.
These so-called “faux guides” do not have the necessary license to act as tourist guides. Most of the unlicensed guides were arrested in or near Fes’ tourist hotspots like hotels, monuments, souks and the train station.
The tourism brigade of the local police was set up specifically to protect foreign visitors from fraud and other harassment.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:16 am
I don’t think there are 800 unlicensed guides in Fes. I don’t think there are even 80
false guides as we call them in French.
The number 840 people the Tourism brigade arrested in Fes last year for fraud and impersonating an official guide does not mean those 840 pseudo guides are the same people. Most of them are the same individuals police keep arresting again and again because the justice courts release them after spending a short time in jail instead of full
sentence because there is no room in prison.
And because these pseudo guides have no other professional skills than what they do, they return to do the same business even if it they get arrested and sent to jail.
For them, getting arrested and sent to jail is better than unemployment.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Fair points. Still, from a tourist perspective, it’s good to see the problem being tackled.
August 13th, 2007 at 12:26 am
But is it really a problem? A local is a local, and all the faux guides I met and/or experienced were no less informed than the ones with “necessary” licensing. Especially those in cities. Mountains guides definitely should have more training for safety reasons, but other than that, I don’t understand the crackdown. The tourism brigade certainly needs to keep up appearances for the sake of jumpy and fearful tourists, but perhaps it is just another certification that costs money which most moroccans can’t afford. Intuition and open eyes will find you the best guides anywhere- certified or not. -Paula, Colorado
May 31st, 2009 at 11:38 am
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May 31st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
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