Analysis of tour guide selection in Mevlana cultural tours using the TOPSIS method

Year 2025, Issue: 14, 62 - 79, 31.12.2025

Saeid Foroughi , Abdullah Karaman

Abstract

This study aims to objectively select the most suitable tour guides for Rumi-themed cultural tours in Konya, Turkey, by identifying key service quality determinants. Employing the TOPSIS multicriteria decision-making method, the research analyses six critical criteria communication skills, knowledge, foreign language proficiency, guest satisfaction, cultural sensitivity, and crisis/group management rated by expert opinions. A decision matrix was constructed to normalize, weight, and compare candidates, calculating their proximity to the ideal solution. The results demonstrate that a guide's level of knowledge and cultural sensitivity are the most decisive factors for this specific tourism context. Theoretically, this paper fills a literature gap by presenting a practical human resource management model for cultural and faith-based tourism and emphasizing the guide's vital role as a knowledge transmitter and service quality guarantor. Practically, it provides a systematic, transparent, and repeatable framework that reduces subjective judgements in guide selection. The study concludes that TOPSIS is a viable, data-driven model for evaluating guide performance.

Keywords

Tour guide , cultural tourism , service quality , cultural sensitivity

Ethical Statement

The authors declare that national and international research and publication ethics were followed in the article. In case of any violation, the Çatalhöyük International Journal of Tourism Research bears no responsibility, and all responsibility rests solely with the authors of the article.

Supporting Institution

No financial or in-kind support was received from any individual or institution during the preparation of this study.

Project Number

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Thanks

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Editor and the reviewers for their time, valuable comments, and suggestions during the evaluation of the article.

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