Tourism Law in Europe

the Act. These are regulated professions that can also be performed in the Czech Republic in an employment relationship based on an employment contract, agreement to complete a job or an agreement to perform work. A trade licence for the operation of this professional trade may be granted to anyone who meets the general conditions for the operation of a trade, i.e. the conditions of clean criminal record and legal capacity, and also special conditions applicable to this kind of trade. The latter require a specific degree of education. Mountain leaders and mountain guides guide people in a mountain environment and provide the related information. The term “mountain environment” is currently not defined by the law. In practice, for the purposes of the activities pursued by mountain leaders and mountain guides, a mountain environment is understood as an area outside a built-up territory of a municipality which, in view of its geographical and geomorphological conditions, and ensuing further characteristics, poses increased demands on ensuring safe movement of a client. Geographical conditions mean, in particular, a more or less steep change in altitude as compared to the surrounding environment. A higher altitude is reflected in weather conditions, which are more variable in a mountain environment and differ from other areas. Another typical feature of a mountain environment lies, in the conditions of the Czech Republic, in relative inaccessibility of, or restricted access to, services, telecommunication and data infrastructure and assistance. If an accident occurs in this environment, assistance is usually provided by the Mountain Rescue Service or Rock Rescue Service, or specialised components of the integrated rescue service. Only mountain guides may guide clients in cases where their safe movement in a mountain environment is conditional on the use of climbing or mountaineering techniques. A mountaineering technique is understood as a situation where the client is belayed by a professional, such as sport climbing, multi-pitch climbing, ice climbing, mixed and drytooling climbing, and climbing on artificial walls. A mountain leader can also use climbing equipment to secure the client, including crampons, ice axes, snap-rings and even mountaineering techniques; however, this should never be a part of the planned tour. Mountain guides also operate on glaciers. A mountain leader may pass a glacier with his/her client only exceptionally provided that the nature of the glacier does not require