The world view of tour guides: a grounded theory study

Tour guides have been described as ‘key frontline players in the tourism industry, who through their knowledge and interpretation of a destination’s attractions and culture, and their communication and service skills, have the ability to transform the tourist’s visit from a tour into an experience (Ap and Wong, 2001: 551). However, despite the considerable functions the tour guides perform in the tourism system, they are relatively neglected in tourism research. To date scholars have observed the poor coverage research and have noted to the need for further research to advance the knowledge on the topic of tour guides. Therefore, this book develops a new understanding into the arena of tour guides. It addresses broadly the way the tour guides' community views the world and their place in. The book is a rich collection of narratives that offers deep insights into the phenomenological world of tour guides as one of the important operational groups in the tourism process. Moreover, the book is grounded in data gathered from the tour guides' themselves and the author used grounded theory methodology as a tool to understand how persons experience their world.