Raids on unregistered guides intensified

DENPASAR: The Indonesian Tour Guides Association (HPI) hopes that the authorities will continue to conduct raids on illegal tour guides as there are still many to be found around tourist attractions.

“We hope that these raids continue because it’s disturbing for our profession as well as bringing a bad name to our tourism image,” said head of public relations for HPI Bali, Amos Lillo, in Denpasar on Saturday, according to Antara news agency.

He said that the raids on illegal tour guides carried out by the authorities, such the police, only took place once a year.

The raids carried out at the end of May 2012 saw 34 unregistered tour guides, local residents now awaiting trial, arrested at various tourist attractions. The team also arrested a German citizen working as an illegal “guide”, who is now in the hands of the authorities.

The parties are now consolidating with all tourism divisions in HPI Bali to follow up on the findings. Illegal tour guides, said Amos, mostly targeted Chinese tourists, who now make up the largest number of tourists in Bali.