Visitor perceptions of the role of tour guides in natural areas

Abstract

This paper explores the potential of tour guides to contribute to the protection of natural areas by educating their customers through interpretation and modeling environmentally appropriate behaviors. Applying Cohen's (1985) model of the guides' role, modified by Weiler and Davis (1993), as a framework, it examines the potential role that kayak tour guides can play in shaping the experience of visitors to one marine area, the Pacific Rim National Park. It uses two approaches to explore the perceptions of clients about the role of kayak guides using: (1) a pre-and post-trip questionnaire and (2) participant observation. Results indicate that five of the six roles were rated high in importance, but one role, the communication role, was not as important. Comparing performance with importance attached to each role revealed congruence with five roles, but lower levels of performance in relation to importance with the role of "motivator of responsible behavior". Variability within all of the importance and performance measures suggest that for some individuals, performance did not match importance, highlighting the need to consider market segmentation in future studies. These findings are discussed within the ecotourism paradigm, and their implications for protected area management and for visitor behavior modification are considered.

Visitor management practices and operational sustainability: Expedition cruising in the Kimberley, Australia

“…As highlighted by Ap and Wong (2001), the frontline role of tour guides strongly influences visitor satisfaction. It is multi-faceted and combines aspects of leadership, mediation and resource management with instrumental, social, communicative, interactional, motivational and environmental interpretational facets (Ap & Wong, 2001;Cohen, 1985;Randall & Rollins, 2009;Weiler & Davis, 1993). This study shows that the role of the tour guide and their quality of interpretation are particularly important in cruise-based nature tourism as visitors are highly guide-dependent, a notion also supported by Ham and Weiler (2003).…”

Enhancing the visitor experience: Reconceptualising the tour guide's communicative role

“…In the ensuing decade since this study was published, visitors' expectations of their guides as communication and experience brokers seem to be increasing. Although there has been no published research focused on visitors' expectations of a guide's role as an experience broker as such, a number of studies have included visitors' expectations and perceived performance of guides as interpreters (Beaumont, 1991;Peake, 2007;Randall & Rollins, 2009;Weiler & Crabtree, 1999). Perhaps not surprisingly, the results have been mixed, with the guide's interpretation often perceived as falling short of expectations of visitors, assessors and others.…”

Tourisme, géosciences et enjeux de territoires

“…Ces enjeux de médiation et d'appropriation posent également la question de la formation des guides, personnes-ressources dans les processus d'apprentissage associés au géotourisme : dès lors que des notions géotouristiques sont intégrées à la visite, les guides doivent recevoir une formation spécifique. Cet aspect reste aujourd'hui relativement peu étudié et pourtant, en termes de développement du géotourisme, il est central : comme pour d'autres formes de tourisme, le guide conditionne, pour partie, la réussite de l'expérience touristique (Randall et Rollins, 2009). …”