Upper-middle-class women with college degrees use 'free tours' the most, study finds

An umbrella held aloft guides a large group of tourists through the main squares of the historic center on a route lasting several hours that culminates in voluntary payment by the participants, depending on their levels of satisfaction. This pattern is frequently repeated in major European capitals. They have been dubbed "free tours," characterized by their lack of any set prices, and often serve as tourists' first way of getting to know the cities they visit.