After Supreme Court Ruled Tour Guides Must Be Licensed, Some In Philly Took A Proactive Approach
By Kim Glovas
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Supreme Court ruled last week that tour guides in New Orleans have to be licensed to lead tours. A similar situation in Philadelphia several years ago resulted in the tour guides certifying themselves.
In 2009, some of Philadelphia's tour guides came under scrutiny for telling tale tales about the founding fathers and mothers. A city law was enacted calling for all tour guides to be certified in factual history.
Ed Mauger, founder of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides, or APT, says that stung. And that's when his organization was formed. He says the group created it's own certification and training program.
"We put together a 250-page training manual which is the most comprehensive of any major city in America. We use that as a basis along with our lecture series."
The lectures are attended by tour guides, docents, and anyone else who's interested. The next lecture program is scheduled the second and third weekends in March at the Philadelphia Visitor's Center.
