New Regulations for Tourist Guides in Turkey: Administrative Process Timelines Shortened, Disciplinary Sanction Definitions Clarified

ANKARA – Significant amendments to the Tourist Guiding Profession Law were published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey on Saturday, May 31, 2025, by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. With these new regulations, certain administrative process timelines for tourist guides have been shortened, and the definitions of disciplinary sanctions have been made clearer.

The decision, titled "Regulation Amending the Regulation on the Implementation of Powers and Duties Assigned to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism by the Tourist Guiding Profession Law No. 6326," was published in Issue 32916 of the Official Gazette. It directly concerns tourist guides operating in the sector.

According to the amendments:

• Shortened Timelines: The phrase "one month" in the first paragraph of Article 15 of the Regulation has been changed to "fifteen days." This amendment aims to halve the response and processing times in relevant administrative procedures. This could lead to quicker finalization of certain applications or notifications related to the guiding profession.
• Clarification of Disciplinary Sanction Definitions: The phrase "has not received a disciplinary penalty" in the second paragraph of Article 18 of the Regulation has been updated to a clearer expression: "has not received a temporary suspension from the profession or expulsion from the profession penalty." This regulation aims to eliminate ambiguity in practice by clarifying which types of penalties will be considered in disciplinary actions related to the tourist guiding profession. While "disciplinary penalty" was previously a general term, the new regulation specifically emphasizes severe penalties such as temporary or permanent expulsion from the profession.

It is stated that with these steps, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism aims to make the administrative processes within the tourist guiding profession more dynamic and transparent, while also establishing clearer rules for professional discipline. How these changes will be received by tourist guides and relevant stakeholders in the sector, and their implications in practice, will be observed in the coming period.

Source: T.C. Resmî Gazete, Issue: 32916, Saturday, May 31, 2025.