Tour Guide Lawsuit in Charleston, S.C Drags on With Broader Implications
Skift Take
In the same way that people don't want their plumbers to go freestyle while hooking up their toilets, they don't want people in tourism to be uneducated about the thing they're selling.
An attorney for three would-be tour guides told a federal judge Tuesday they shouldn't have to pass a test and get a license to earn a living telling tales about historic Charleston, while a lawyer for the city insisted requiring licenses for guides is a lawful business regulation.
In a lawsuit similar to cases in other historic cities, the three are challenging an ordinance requiring tour guides to pass a 200-question test based on a nearly 500-page manual in order to receive a license. Applicants also must pass an oral exam.
The plaintiffs "seek to do nothing more than to tell stories about Charleston," attorney Ar
