TOUR GUIDES-THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DESTINATION AND ITS TOURISTS
MARIANA JANEVA
Abstract
Tour guides are one of the key participants in the tourism industry. Their knowledge in presenting the tourist attractions and the culture of a particular destination, their abilities in communication and servicing can turn a trip into a really exciting experience. The services offered become a major factor because of the fact that the different destinations are trying to attract more visitors in a highly competitive situation. This research examines the nature of tour guiding in Bulgaria, assessing the existing level of quality and identifies the problems and challenges that this profession faces in the 21stcentury. These problems are being examined through series of in-deep interviews and interviews with focus-groups. In accordance with the results obtained, some recommendations were formulated. The most important one is related to the introduction of a control system to assure and guarantee the high quality of servicing. The problems experienced by tour guiding in Bulgaria are not specific and such or similar problems could be encountered in many other countries. Nevertheless, little information could be found in articles and publications. This research is an attempt to gather more information about these issues that is to be analyzed in order to ameliorate the quality of the overall process of tour guiding.
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