The legal position of the self-employed tourist guide
Self-employed tourist guides exercise a regulated trade according to article 108 of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act. A certificate of competence must be acquired through a state-administered qualifying examination. Tourist guides can be identified by an official tourist guide identification. Only certified guides can be employed by service contract. Tourist guides may use an internationally accepted occupational title. In order to practise the central activities of the profession, the tourist guide is required to be a permanent resident of Austria.
By law, registered and licensed tourist guides are members of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, which provides services and represents their interests in the business community. The national umbrella organization that represents the interests of tourist guides is the Association of Businesses in the Leisure Field. Via the Economic Chamber, tourist guides are represented in the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) and the European Federation of Tourist Guides Associations (FEG).

Professional Definition and Scope of Qualifications
The role of the tourist guide is to guide groups or individual visitors, in order to show and interpret with expertise the historical treasures and the artistic and cultural heritage of Austria; natural and cultural environments (in particular, public places and buildings, monuments and memorial sites, collections, museums, churches, religious sites, theatres and places of entertainment, exhibitions, characteristics of natural landscapes, flora and fauna  , industrial and business sites, etc.). Further, to explain social and political conditions in a national and international context, as well as cultural, sporting and social events.
In particular cases, tourist guides can take on the tasks of tour managers, such as transfers or accompanying groups on trips abroad. The qualified guiding provided by the state-registered tourist guide is clearly distinguishable from the activities of other professional groups which are authorized by law to offer certain comments and explanations (tour managers, guides in castles, palaces or similar places, mountain guides, as well as comments offered inside vehicles of commercial passenger transportation by drivers of taxis or horse-drawn carriages), but who are not subject by law to a state-controlled examination.
Tourist guides coming from the European Economic Area are allowed to conduct tours in Austria, provided that their professional qualification has been approved by the Ministry of Economics and Labour as equivalent to the Austrian standard according to Trade Law, and provided that they are not resident in Austria (freedom to provide cross-border services). Apart from these clearly defined legal exceptions, only Austrian tourist guides (or tourist guides who have been examined in Austria) with a valid trade licence are allowed to conduct commercial tours. The certificated tourist guide who does not hold a trade licence may conclude a service contract with a self-employed licensed tourist guide. In this case, the state-administered tourist guide exam and a special exam for contractors (“Dienstnehmerprüfung”) are required. Exercising their profession, tourist guides have a sense of responsibility towards both local and foreign clients.

Training and Qualification
In order to obtain a trade licence for the regulated profession of tourist guide, the candidate must pass a strict state-administered qualifying examination, including a business-venture examination. The examination also includes accounting, legal aspects of the tourist guide profession, a practical on-site demonstration and evidence of proficiency in at least one foreign language.

Prior to the examination, a compulsory course, consisting of a minimum of 250 hours, in a licensed educational institution must be completed. This course conveys profound knowledge and expertise in many areas: national and regional history, art history and cultural history, local history and geography, legal and political systems,  fundamentals of economics and sociology, accounting, commercial and legal aspects of the tourist guide profession, tourism and business management, tourist and economic geography, and First Aid. This comprehensive education is supplemented by demonstration tours and field trips, language practice, communication and presentation techniques. Based on the examination and the trade license, tourist guides are authorized to conduct tours in all of Austria. However, they will take special care to prepare themselves accordingly for tours outside their geographical or thematic sphere of competence, perhaps seeking the cooperation of local guides. The same is true for the provision of professional guiding services outside Austria, which are to be conducted within the framework of national laws and regulations.
Furthermore, tourist guides attend on-going training programmes after qualifying: the “Academy for Continuing Training of Tourist Guides” (WAF) offers a variety of lectures, excursions and tours. Tourist guides read specialist literature, visit museums and exhibitions, take educational trips and attend national and international symposia. These activities also serve the purpose of improving and practising foreign language skills.

Conducting tours
Tourist guides are employed by domestic and foreign travel agencies, hotels, tourist agencies, public authorities, schools, and also private individuals. In addition, tourist guides are free to offer walking tours or similar tours (nature tours, tours to places of interest) on their own initiative. In particular, tourist guides are also both willing and able to offer tours, for example, on occasions such as official state visits or receptions, visits to business ventures or school trips. Thorough preparation of tours is a matter of principle. Tourist guides will take into account the cultural background of guests and respect their social and religious approach to our history and culture. Tourist guides will make an effort to communicate to guests or clients an appreciation of the place visited, free from prejudiced or one-sided (political) interpretation. The tourist guide´s task of communicating directly with clients is of central importance to tourism and tourism-related businesses. This responsibility is expressed in the tourist guide’s conduct and appearance, especially the appropriate choice of dress and language, as well as in efforts to meet the clients´ needs.

In conducting the tour, the tourist guide is considerate of the activities of other tourist guides.

Tourist guides are particularly concerned with helping guests understand the identity of our country, our mentality, our cultural and natural heritage, and the people living here. They are keen to protect and to foster the image of tourism in our country by ensuring that guests treat our environment, fauna and flora, sights, monuments as well as local customs and traditions with respect.

Additional services
On demand and by special arrangement tourist guides are capable of planning special programmes and of giving expert advice, all within the scope of the trade licence. In addition, many tourist guides work in highly specialized areas such as bike tours and tours on horseback.
The tourist guide is frequently the only, closest and most important contact a guest while staying in our country. Therefore tourist guides will advise guests on further sightseeing and leisure activities, they will recommend good accommodations and restaurants, ticket offices and travel agencies, as well as indicate opportunities for shopping, entertainment, sports and relevant cultural and social events (all within the scope of the tourist guide´s duties). However, according to trade law regulations, a direct booking of additional services is neither possible nor permissible through tourist guides, unless they possess the appropriate trade licence.

Fee
The fee of the tourist guide is by arrangement.
 
Terms of contract and cancellation policy
The Federal Economic Chamber, Trade Association of Businesses in the Leisure Field, recommends terms of contract and terms of cancellation, which become valid through agreement in each individual case.