Swimming in dangerous waters: A phenomenological study of the risk management of tour guides

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 119 - 134, 07.01.2025

Merve Kalyoncu Yolaçan

Abstract

The aim of the study is to explore the risk management experiences of tour guides by using a phenomenological approach. Tour guiding involves providing historical and cultural information, managing complex human interactions, ensuring safety, and overcoming logistical challenges. The study adopts a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of 19 active tour guides in Eskişehir who are registered with the Ankara Chamber of Tour Guides. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using descriptive and content analysis. Four main themes emerged: Challenges of the tour guiding profession, preparation before the tour, risks before the tour, and risks during the tour. The findings highlight that risk management strategies are critical to ensuring both guest satisfaction and guide well-being. Tour guides emphasize the importance of flexibility, crisis management skills, and proactive planning. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the real on-site experiences of tour guides and by offering actionable recommendations for improving risk management training. Safety standards and the guest experience can be significantly enhanced by improving tour guides' preparedness. Therefore, this study contributes to the current body of knowledge as it offers a framework for risk management of tour guides, tour guides’ relevant solutions and strategies. Finally, it provides recommendations for theorists, practitioners, and other researchers. It is essential to address the underlying cause of the problem in order to resolve the situation effectively. When a risk is identified, it is crucial to remain calm and seek the most efficient and optimal solution.

Keywords

Risk management, tour guiding profession, challenges of tour guide, risks during the tour

Ethical Statement

The ethics committee permission required for the collection of the data used in this study was obtained from Anadolu University Ethics Committee with protocol number 56806.

Supporting Institution

Anadolu University

Project Number

This research was supported under the project number 1805E174, which was accepted by the Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit Coordinatorship.

References

• Ababneh, A. (2017). Tourist guides and job related problems, analysis and evidence from Jordan. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 18(2), pp. 200–217.
• Akkoç, T., (2020). Turizmde Risk ve Kriz Yönetimi. in O. Emir ve D. Turan (Ed.s) Turizm ve Güvenlik (pp.130-145), Eskişehir: Anadolu Yayınları.
• Akturan, U. & Esen, A. (2013). Fenomenoloji. İn T. Baş, T. and U. Akturan, (Eds.). Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Ap, J., & Wong, K. K. F. (2001). Case study on tour guiding: Professionalism, issues, and problems. Tourism Management, 22(5), pp. 551–563.
• Arslan, A., & Akkuş, G. (2023). A mixed methods research study on occupational safety and health of tour guides. Current Issues in Tourism, 27(12), pp. 1973–1988. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2218605
• Baum, T. (2006). Human resource management for tourism, hospitality and leisure: An international perspective. Thomson Learning, London.
• Black, R., & Ham, S. (2005). Improving the quality of tour guiding: Towards a model for tour guide certification. Journal of Ecotourism, 4(3), pp. 178–195.
• Boksberger, P. E., Bieger, T., & Laesser, C. (2007). Multidimensional analysis of perceived risk in commercial air travel. Journal of Air Transport Management, 13(2), pp. 90-96.
• Chang, T. Y., Shen, C. C., & Li, Z. W. (2018). Establishing tour guide work safety and risk management indicators system. Journal of Tourism & Hospitality, 07(2), pp. 1–5.
• Chowdhary, N., & Prakash, M. (2008, May 15–17). Challenges of tourist guiding-an assessment of situation in India. Conference on Tourism in India – Challenges Ahead, IIMK
• Cohen, E. (1985). The tourist guide: The origins, structure, and dynamics of a role. Annals of Tourism Research, 12(1), pp. 5–29.
• Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
• Çetinsöz, B. C., & Ege, Z. (2013). Impacts of perceived risks on tourists' revisit intentions. Anatolia, 24(2), pp. 173-187.
• Dawson, C. (2016). Araştırma yöntemlerine giriş. (Çev. Editörleri: A. Arı). Konya: Eğitim Kitabevi.
• Düz, B. (2017). Turist rehberliğinde meslek etiği ilkelerinin faydacı etik yaklaşımı ile belirlenmesi. Hitit Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 10(2), pp. 1639-1662.
• Fuchs, G., & Reichel, A. (2006). Tourist destination risk perception: The case of Israel. Journal of Hospitality & Leisure Marketing, 14(2), pp. 83-108.
• Huang, S., & Weiler, B. (2010). A review and evaluation of China’s tour guide interpretation research. Tourism Management, 31(6), pp. 947–958.
• Jardine, D. W. (1987). Reflection and self-understanding in Piagetian theory: A phenomenological critique. The Journal of Educational Thought (JET)/Revue de la Pensée Educative, 21(1), pp. 10-19.
• Kalyoncu, M., & Yüksek, G. (2017). The effect of impression management techniques which tourist guides use in package tours on personal interaction quality. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 5(1), pp. 15-25.
• Kalyoncu, M., & Yüksek, G. (2020). “Tour guides as sustainable cultural heritage tourism interpreters: The case of the Odunpazari historical urban site.” in İ. O. Coşkun, A. Lew, N. Othman, G. Yüksek, & S. Güay Aktaş, (Eds.) Heritage tourism beyond borders and civilizations: Proceedings of the Tourism Outlook Conference, 2018 Springer Singapore (pp. 57-69).
• Karamustafa, K., & Erbaş, E. (2011). Satın alma karar sürecinde algılanan risk: paket turlara yönelik bir araştırma. Tüketici ve Tüketim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(1), pp. 103-144.
• Kavak, M., Emir, O., & Arslantürk, Y. (2024a). A new alternative in the field of tour guiding emerging after COVID-19: Online guided virtual tour. Journal of Tourism Leisure and Hospitality, 6(1), pp. 59-71.
• Kavak, M., Emir, O., & Arslantürk, Y. (2024b). Destinasyonu yerinde ziyaret etme eğilimi bakımından sanal turların Virtualrooming olarak değerlendirilmesi: Bir karma yöntem çalışması. Journal of Tourism & Gastronomy Studies, 12(2), pp. 1406–1441.
• Kaya, A., Yetgin Akgün, D., & Çiftçi, G. (2020). Krizlerin turist rehberliği öğrencilerinin mesleki tutumları ile ilişkisi. Türk Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 4(3), pp. 2907-2923.
• Köroğlu, A. (2004). Turizm işletmelerinin muhtemel krizlere yönelik hazırlık çalışmaları ve seyahat acentalarında bir uygulama. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi. 7(12), pp. 69-87.
• Köroğlu, Ö. (2012). İçsel ve dışsal iş doyum düzeyleri ile genel iş doyum düzeyi arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesi: Turist rehberleri üzerinde bir araştırma. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, 13(2), pp. 275-289.
• Lovelock, C.& J. Wirtz (2007). Services marketing. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
• Mackenzie, S. H., & Kerr, J. H. (2013). Stress and emotions at work: An adventure tourism guide’s experiences. Tourism Management, 36, pp. 3–14.
• Mason, P. (2015). Tourism impacts, planning, and management. Routledge.
• Nyahunzvi, D. K., & Njerekai, C. (2013). Tour guiding in Zimbabwe: Key issues and challenges. Tourism Management Perspectives, 6, pp. 3-7.
• Ön, F., Akyurt Kurnaz, H., & Güzel, F. Ö. (2021). Doğa turu deneyimi ve doğa yürüyüşü yönetimi: Turist rehberlerinin perspektifinden fenomonolojik bir çözümleme. Turizm Akademik Dergisi, 8(2), pp. 191-206.
• Payam, M. M. (2020). Turizmde olası güvenlik riskleri: Etkin risk ve güvenlik yönetimi. In Z. Gölen, Y. Unvan, ve S. Özer (Ed.s), İktisadi ve İdari Bilimlerde Akademik Çalışmalar (pp. 231-254). Montenegro: Ivpe.
• Pearce, P. L. (2011). The social psychology of tourist behavior. Routledge.
• Reisinger, Y., & Mavondo, F. T. (2005). Tourism in the age of globalization. Elsevier.
• Roehl, W. S. & Fesenmaier, D. R. (1992). Risk perceptions and pleasure travel: An exploratory analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 30(4), pp. 17-26.
• Seidman, I. (2006). Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers on education and the social sciences. Teachers College Press.
• Sezgin, E., & Düz, B. (2018). Testing the proposed “GuidePerf” scale for tourism: Performances of tour guides in relation to various tour guiding diplomas. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 23(2), pp. 170-182.
• Sheng-Hshiung, T., Gwo-Hshiung, T. & Kuo-Ching, W. (1997). Evaluating tourist risks from fuzzy perspectives. Annals of Tourism Research, 24(4), pp. 796-812.
• Tarlow, P. (2006). A social theory of terrorism and tourism safety. Journal of Travel Research, 44(4), pp. 379–386. Ulusoy Mutlu, H., Balıkoğlu, A., Akgül, O. & Köroğlu, Ö. (2024). Turist rehberlerinin karşılaştıkları iş kazaları ve meslek hastalıkları. Manas Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 13(1), pp. 338-355. doi:10.33206/mjss.1209049.
• Ural, M. (2015). Importance of risk management for the sustainability of tourism. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 18(33), pp. 163-178.
• Wang, C., & Chen, C. C. (2019). Tour guides’ crisis management strategies: Insights from Taiwan. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(2), pp. 251–263.
• Weiler, B., & Black, R. (2015). The changing face of the tour guide: One-way communicator to choreographer to co-creator. Tourism Recreation Research, 40(3), pp. 364–378.
• Weiler, B., & Walker, K. (2014). Enhancing the visitor experience: Reconceptualising the tour guide’s communicative role. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 21, pp. 90–99.
• Xiang, Z., Magnini, V. P., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2021). Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 30, pp. 207–217.
• Yetgin, D., & Benligiray, S. (2019). The effect of economic anxiety and occupational burnout levels of tour guides on their occupational commitment. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 24(4), pp. 333-347.
• Yetgin, D., Yılmaz A. & Çiftci, G. (2018). Krizlerin turist rehberliği öğrencilerinin kariyer planlamasındaki etkisi. Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 6(3), pp. 195-214.
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2013). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık. Yüksek, G., Coşkun, İ. O., & Günay Aktaş, S. (2020). Improvement of Anadolu University Campus Guiding Services Through Student Volunteer Feedback. In Travel and Tourism: Sustainability, Economics, and Management Issues: Proceedings of the Tourism Outlook Conferences (pp. 255-263). Springer Singapore.
• Zhang, H. Q., & Chow, I. (2004). Application of importance-performance analysis in tour guides’ performance: Evidence from mainland Chinese outbound visitors in Hong Kong. Tourism Management, 25(1), pp. 81–91.