Independent Tour Guides Banned

[El Presidente]

Woke up to  a message from a mate in Havana this morning. He is a tour guide. 

"Breaking news: the government just made it illegal to be a private tour guide.  The only tour guides permitted are those who work for the state enterprise.

So much for those who have been operating legally and paying taxes. Unbelievable"

The banning of private tour guides has a whiff of fear about it.  

[NSXCIGAR]

The only tour guides permitted are those who work for the state enterprise

Taking a page from the N. Korea playbook...

[benfica_77]

Terrible news  

[RedLantern]

What's the official definition of a tour guide? I'd be worried this would affect drivers . . .

[JY0]

Oh, no. Jorge?

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, RedLantern said:

What's the official definition of a tour guide? I'd be worried this would affect drivers . . .

I am not sure what the official definition is but if you have a taxi license then you would be smart enough to get around it. 

Then again if you are a Havana driver taking 3 foreigners around Pinar del Rio, I am not sure how that would be treated. 

Right now I doubt they (Govt) would know either. 

[Jimmy_jack]

I feel so bad for the folks that have to live under that govt.

[Fosgate]

Must be that time of year to to bribe/kickback to the public officials for the tour guide industry....amongst others. 

[chris12381]

Back in February the government published a list of activities where the private sector was not permitted to operate.  It actually was quite impressive to do it that way rather than in the past where they had said where they COULD. 

http://media.cubadebate.cu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Anexo-No-1.pdf

What did catch my eye (but at the time I thought, surely they mean more as a package tour operator?) was:

"Actividades de agencias de viajes y operadores turísticos."

There's your tour guide prohibition. ?

[amaxp81]

Oh, no. Jorge?

My thought too. He's on FB ... maybe should check in with him. He's such a good guy.

Sent from my SM-F916U1 using Tapatalk

[helix]

It is Hopeful how a little capitalism threatens socialist control. 

[Nino]

Yep, you see again how that damm Gringo embargo makes it so hard for the Cuban people ....

 

 

 

 

 

Irony off.

[Nino]

@PuroDan - I fear you missed my irony sign off  ...

I am the first one to agree with you and have enough posts on that subject ( you were the first one to agree with me that there is no embargo, just missing cash in Cuba, here :

It is the internal Cuban embargo against its citizens that hurts them in all aspects of their life, not the much touted ( and stupid ) US embargo.

One thing I disagree with you though is the vaccine, the first one was developed by BioNTech, a German company around the corner from my home that is associated with Pfizer ... ?

[Tstew75]

What the actual F

[djrey]

6 hours ago, PuroDan said:

In gringo land "We the people" tell the govt what to do no the other way around.

Wish I believed this. 

[BrightonCorgi]

Can private tour guides become official tour guides easily?

[Walter19]

What kind of repercussion would a local face, if they continued to operate individually and were exposed?

[El Presidente]

54 minutes ago, Walter19 said:

What kind of repercussion would a local face, if they continued to operate individually and were exposed?

Jail