Tourism Law in Europe

14 the conditions for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications 49 , except at or in protected sites when a special certification exam is required [art. 69(4)] 50 . The profession of a tourist guide is also considered as a regulated profession in Croatian tourism law. The person must have professional qualifications for the provision of tourist guide services. Professional qualifications of foreign tourist guides must be recognised in accordance with a special law on the recognition of professional qualifications 51 . Tourist guides must have completed at least the secondary school education, they must have passed the certification exam for tourist guides (the general part and the special part for protected sites). A tourist guide must have the necessary knowledge of the language to be used in the performance of tourist guide services (B2 level) and he or she must have sufficient command of the Croatian language to be able to perform the services as a tourist guide. To provide tourist guide services, tourist guides must be authorised based on an administrative approval decision approving the performance of tourist guide services as authorised tourist guides 52 . A tourist guide provides services as a self-employed person and in the form of conducting business based on special regulations, as an employed person based on a labour contract, a work contract, a student service contract, or the like. 4. Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications in the Field of Tourism In Croatia, individual tourism services are considered to be regulated professions 53 . To have access and to exercise these services, the providers must possess specific professional 49 For more see 4: Recognition of foreign professional qualifications in the field of tourism. 50 The Minister competent for tourism prescribes the lists of protected sites by counties in the form of an ordinance. In order to provide the services of tourist guides at or in protected sites, a special part of the certification exam for protected sites must be passed [art. 70(2)-(4) TSA]. 51 For more see 4: Recognition of foreign professional qualifications in the field of tourism. 52 Articles 71 and 73 TSA. 53 There are special requirements in the tourism sector for the provision of tourist business services for tourist agencies, tourist agency operations managers, tourist guides, tourist escorts, agency representatives, tourist diving services, vessels of nautical tourism, car rental services (rent-a-car), tourism services of active and adventure tourism, services of rental of sports and recreational equipment for tourists, tourism services in nautical tourism, tourism services on agricultural farms, aquatic organism breeding sites, hunting grounds, privately owned forests and fishing tourism. Information for specific tourism services on the right of establishment and freedomof occasional/temporary provision of services in tourism, catering, accommodation sectors available at psc.hr/en/sectoral-requirements.