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Case study
Case study on tour guiding: professionalism, issues and problems John Ap*, Kevin K.F. Wong Department of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR Received 1 June 1999; accepted 1 July 2000
Abstract Tour guides are one of the key front-line players in the tourism industry. Through their knowledge and interpretation of a destination's attractions and culture, and their communication and service skills, they have the ability to transform the tourists' visit from a tour into an experience. The role and duties may not be that glamorous as the profession, in many countries, lacks a well-de"ned career path and their incomes are reliant on a variety of income sources. Service professionalism has become an important issue as destinations compete for tourists in a very competitive environment, especially in Asia as it reels from the e!ects of the 1997 Asian "nancial crisis. This study examines the nature of tour guiding in Hong Kong, assessing the existing level of professional service standards, and identifying issues and challenges facing the profession in the 21st century. Tour guiding issues were identi"ed through an extensive series of in-depth and focus group interviews. Based on the "ndings, a set of recommendations was formulated. A key recommendation includes the establishment of a monitoring system to ensure high standards of service performance by the tour guides. It is recognised that the experiences faced by the Hong Kong tour guides are unlikely to be unique and there may be some issues and problems raised that are common to the guiding profession in most other countries. However, very few studies about the professional status and issues faced by the tour guiding profession have been reported in the English-based literature and this study would represent one of the "rst attempts to do so. In sharing the Hong Kong experience, there will be some lessons to be learnt for those in other countries, especially as the profession continues its e!orts to improve the status and service professionalism of tour guiding throughout the world. 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Tour guiding; Tour guide association; Professionalism; Hong Kong
1. Introduction Tour guides are the essential interface between the host destination and its visitors. In fact, they are front-line employees who are very much responsible for the overall impression and satisfaction with the tour services o!ered by a destination. Geva and Goldman (1991) for example, found that the performance of the tour guide was an important attribute to the success of the tour, while Mossberg (1995) noted that the tour guide was regarded an important element in selecting a charter tour. While there are various de"nitions of a tour guide, an internationally accepted de"nition given by the International Association of Tour Managers and the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (EFTGA) is that a tour guide is a person who*`Guide groups or
* Corresponding author. Tel.: #852-2766-6348; fax: #852-23629362. E-mail address:
[email protected] (J. Ap).
individual visitors from abroad or from the home country around the monuments, sites and museums of a city or region; to interpret in an inspiring and entertaining manner, in the language of the visitor's choice, the cultural and natural heritage and environmenta (EFTGA, 1998). Key areas of a tour guide's job description as de"ned above include environmental interpretation in an inspiring and entertaining manner, operation in a clearly de"ned cultural/ geographical area and specialised linguistic knowledge. Another de"nition provided by the Professional Tour Guide Association of San Antonio (1997) is that the guide is `a person with an e!ective combination of enthusiasm, knowledge, personality qualities and high standards of conduct and ethics who leads groups to the important sites (in our city), while providing interpretation and commentary.a This de"nition di!ers slightly from the EFTGA one in that it focusses upon the importance of the personality and conduct of the guide as essential ingredients that constitute the work of the tour guide. On the aspect of
0261-5177/01/$ - see front matter 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 2 6 1 - 5 1 7 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 0 1 3 - 9
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personality, the Professional Tour Guide Association of San Antonio suggests that the secret to success of being a tour guide is*`loving the subject and the people we present it toa. That is, having a passion for your subject and taking an interest in each guest. In essence, the work of a tour guide not only involves the transmission of information, but also presenting it in an interesting and sincere manner. Tour guides have also been described by several authors as `an information giver and fount of knowledgea, `mentora (Cohen, 1985), `a mediatora (de Kadt, 1979; Nettekoven, 1979), and `culture brokera (McKean, 1976). The mediator and cultural broker functions, as suggested here, refers to the interpretive aspects of the tour guide's work which plays a vital role in enhancing the visitors' experience at a destination and their understanding of the destination and its culture. Cross (1991), Mancini (1990) and Pond (1993) provide useful practical hands-on information about tour guiding practice, professionalism, and address issues such as the role of guiding, guiding skills and techniques, and the problems and issues that a guide may face when leading a tour. Pond (1993), for example, indicated that the role of the guide includes one who is: E a leader capable of assuming responsibility; E an educator to help the guest understand the places they visit; E an ambassador who extends hospitality and presents the destination in a way that make visitors want to return; E a host who can create a comfortable environment for the guest; and E a facilitator who knows how and when to ful"ll the previous four roles. In Hong Kong, for example, it is estimated there are currently 2500 tour guides (or tour co-ordinators as they are known in Hong Kong) providing services to a diversity of international visitors. However, some tour operators and industry association o$cials consider that the existing level of professionalism of the Hong Kong tour guides may not be up to international standards and requires review. Pond (1993), for instance, indicated that: `History has shown that training, evaluation and regulation of guides yields great rewards not only for travelers and guides but also for sites, cities and whole societies as wella (p. 12). Thus, the importance of the training, evaluation and regulation of guides, including their level of professionalism, cannot be ignored. Unless the issue of professionalism, and the problems and concerns about tour guiding are addressed, this may lead to increasing complaints from visitors about the quality of guide services and result in damaging the image of a tourist destination. Moreover, all tourist destinations strive to provide quality touring experiences for its visitors and one cannot
a!ord to be lax about the level of service o!ered by the various providers. The main purpose of this paper is to examine and assess the current state of tour guiding in Hong Kong. More speci"cally, objectives of the paper are: E to examine the current state of tour guiding practice in Hong Kong; E to identify the issues and problems faced by the tour guiding profession; E to recommend strategies to raise the standard, recognition, and quality of services provided by tour guides; and E to examine the implications of the Hong Kong experience for the guiding profession elsewhere around the world.
2. Methodology This study adopted a qualitative and descriptive case study approach (Yin, 1989). It was considered the most appropriate method to adopt given its exploratory nature and the limited availability of information on this topic. A case study based on the Hong Kong experience is presented to highlight the relevant issues as funds from an external source were made available for such a study to be conducted. The study setting is Hong Kong, one of Asia's leading tourist destinations, and at its height in 1996, there were 11.7 million international tourist arrivals that brought in HK$84.5 billion (US$10.83 bn) in tourism receipts (Hong Kong Tourist Association, 1998). Not surprisingly, tourism is one of Hong Kong's top foreign exchange earning industries. Due to a number of factors such as the Asian "nancial currency turmoil in mid-1997, a downturn in tourist arrivals occurred throughout Asia. Tourist arrivals dropped 20% and 8% in 1997 and 1998, respectively (Hong Kong Tourist Association, 1999). The road towards recovery to achieve a strong and sustained future growth in Hong Kong's tourism industry requires a careful re-evaluation and in-depth understanding of the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of the industry. The tourism industry is a distinctively service based one, which relies heavily on high quality service delivery. As there were concerns about variable levels of professionalism among tour guides, potential problems exist (e.g. lack of training opportunities and unhealthy industry practices) which led to this study being initiated by the local tour guide association (Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators*HARTCO) with the support of government funding. Data collection for this study was obtained from various sources, namely: secondary data, two sets of in-depth interviews with 13 individuals and focus group interviews. HARTCO and the Hong Kong Tourist
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Association guided selection and the composition of those interviewed. Interviewees, for example, represented all the key players involved in tour guiding such as tour operators, hoteliers, legislators, government o$cials, educators, as well as practicing tour guides. Collection of data was carried out in three stages over a 5-month period commencing February, 1998. Firstly, a broad overview was conducted, based on desk research as well as information supplied by HARTCO. In-depth interviews were initially held with four key industry members, all of whom were directly involved with either the work or training of tour guides. Each interview which lasted approximately 1}1.5 hours, was tape recorded and fully transcribed. This initial stage of the study was designed: E to examine the current state, practices and training of tour guides in Hong Kong; E to identify any key issues and problems of the industry; E to obtain a general impression on the licensing of tour guides; and E to obtain opinions about HARTCO as a local tour guide association. A set of open-ended questions was used to guide the in-depth interviews in both the "rst and second stages of the study. They were: 1. What is professionalism (in relation to tour guides)? 2. What opinions do you have about the training of tour guides in Hong Kong? 3. What issues does the tour guiding profession in Hong Kong currently face? 4. What do you think is the role of a tour guide association? In the second stage of the study, the current state of the role, system and practices of tour guiding in Hong Kong were examined further. In-depth interviews were conducted with another set of key players involved with tour guiding. These interviews were conducted with nine individuals who were directly or indirectly involved with tour guiding. The purpose of these in-depth interviews was to solicit detailed information, opinions, and insights on practices and issues relating to tour guiding in Hong Kong such as professionalism, training and certi"cation, etc. The "ndings and results obtained in the previous stages were used to formulate the agenda and questions for the third and "nal stage in which a focus group interview meeting was held in June 1998. Key players from the tourism industry attended this meeting to present their views and opinions on various issues and problems primarily identi"ed in the previous stages of the study. The main purpose of the focus group meeting was to allow for interaction and exchange of views and
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opinions among all the key members to achieve a common understanding, provide greater insights into the issues, problems and recommend solutions. The focus group comprised eleven (11) members of industry, including a tour guide, who were invited to discuss aspects of tour co-ordinating standards, practices and requirements in Hong Kong. Discussion was speci"cally directed to the need for certi"cation, registration or licensing of tour guides. The participants represented di!erent key industry players all of whom had either direct or relevant links to tour guiding in Hong Kong. The interviews were tape recorded and also fully transcribed. The questions asked were: Service standards 1. What do you think are the essential services that should be provided by Hong Kong tour guides? 2. What professional standards should Hong Kong tour guides have? 3. What do you think of the service quality of tour guides at present? Training/certixcation/recognition 4. Is the current training available for training tour guides su$cient? 5. Has su$cient attention and recognition been given to tour guide quali"cations? 6. Should certi"cation be compulsory? Registration/licensing 7. Should there be registration of tour guides? If so, who should be responsible for it? 8. Should a formal, legislatively backed licensing system be introduced? Due to a lack of time, the registration/licensing questions were not addressed in the focus group interview, but a follow up interview meeting was held with a senior government o$cial and the HARTCO chairman. In analysing the data collected, content analysis was used. Following transcription of the interviews, the investigators systematically and carefully reviewed the data before identifying the common elements, patterns and trends. In addition, coding was undertaken in accordance to criteria speci"ed by Strauss and Corbin (1998), such as neutral, frequently appearing in the data, ease of reference to other categories. Member checking, where the transcripts for interviews were transcribed and forwarded to each interviewee to check and verify that the notes represent an accurate record of the interview, was conducted to verify the trustworthiness of the interview data (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Furthermore, through adoption of a three-stage investigation, triangulation was thus used to help verify the "ndings in the subsequent stages. As a qualitative study, one of the limitations is that the "ndings are not
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representative and the "ndings need to be interpreted with caution. However, the insights obtained do provide valuable information about the current state of professional tour guiding practice.
3. Findings Initially, the results of the fact "nding investigation on the current state of Hong Kong tour guiding are presented, followed by the issues and problems identi"ed and discussed in the in-depth or focus group interviews. 3.1. Current state of tour guiding It is estimated there are currently about 2500 tour guides in Hong Kong, but only 500 of them have joined the local tour guide association*HARTCO, on a voluntary basis. There is no formal certi"cation or licensing system for tour guides in Hong Kong, although guides who have at least 2 years experience may be registered through the Hong Kong Tourist Association upon successful completion of a tour co-ordinator certi"cate course. HARTCO, was established in 1984 by the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) which also provides "nancial and secretarial support. It was set up because tour guides are front-line sta! representing Hong Kong and it was considered important to maintain the quality of these tour guides by setting up an organization to look after their interests. Services provided by HARTCO include: half to one day workshops/seminars such as "rst aid and safety on coaches; updated product knowledge and relevant information about Hong Kong through its newsletter, presentations given by the HKTA, Government departments and professional bodies, and on-site activities/ visits. While HARTCO has the right to revoke membership if a guide does not ful"ll his/her obligations there is no monitoring system in place. It was also noted that a code of ethics or professional practice has not been adopted. However, ethics is covered in the tour guiding certi"cate course. The main form of HARTCO membership is the full member category. Membership requirements are based on the guide having at least two years working experience and passing the examination of the "ve day Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course. The contents of the course cover subjects such as: tour guiding management; destination knowledge of Hong Kong; customer service; contingency planning; and two practical sessions on coach and walking tour commentaries. Details of the syllabus of the Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course are presented in Appendix A. The nature of the topics covered are similar to those found in other courses such as those adopted by the English Regional Tourist
Boards (Cross, 1991) and the Professional Tour Guide Association of San Antonio (1997). The course involves written and practical examinations and course participants who successfully pass the course are issued a tour guide certi"cate. They are also automatically registered by the HKTA as a tour guide for life. Besides the Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course, two educational institutions provide sub-degree level training, namely for those who pursue the one year full-time Tour Co-ordination Certi"cate programme, or the three year Higher Diploma in Travel and Tourism course. Unless one formally enrolls in the programmes o!ered by the educational institutions, there is currently no basic course available to those who wish to enter the profession. Since the "ve Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course only accepts those with a minimum of two years work experience, there is a vacuum in the provision of basic training for tour guides in Hong Kong. Concerns about the variable level of professionalism initially stem from the fact that there is ease of entry into the profession without the need for any formal training, low level entry requirements for entry into existing formal programmes, and absence of entry level training. Fortunately, to date, there have not been too many complaints received about tour guides according to industry sources. It might be noted that the Consumer Council and Hong Kong Tourist Association, as a matter of standard practice and due to the sensitivity of this information, do not release information on the nature and number of complaints. However, according to the interviewees and focus group members, the most common complaints about tour guides include inadequate commentary, undue emphasis given to shopping, poor standard of English, and unprofessional behaviour. In summary, the state of tour guiding in Hong Kong may be characterised by: E E E E
an absence of a basic training course for new entrants; limited training opportunities; variable levels of professionalism; a voluntary system of registration for experienced tour guides; E a local tour guiding association which is provided "nancial and secretarial support by the local tourist association; and E few complaints from tourists. 3.2. Issues and problems The following section identi"es and examines a number of issues and problems based on the in-depth and focus group interviews. The in-depth interviews solicited a wide variety of opinions and comments about the issues pertaining to the nature and professionalism of tour guiding in Hong Kong. The focus group interview was directed at speci"c questions on a number of the issues to
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con"rm, question and clarify information collected in earlier parts of the study. Eight issues were identi"ed and are presented as follows: 3.2.1. Professionalism When asked*`What is Professionalism?a, the interviewees provided a wide range of viewpoints. The top four comments were that professionalism involves: E the sense of making tourists happy; E helping tourists form a positive impression of Hong Kong; E satisfying tourists with his/her services so as to encourage repeat travel/visits; E obligation to provide quality service and meet guests' expectations; and E providing necessary, updated and accurate information. The professionalism of a tour guide is re#ected in their attitude towards the job, whether they are more moneyoriented or customer service-oriented. While attitude towards the job was seen as important, the focus group interviewees expressed that product knowledge and communication skills were considered to be more important than attitude. There was consensus among the group that the three most frequently mentioned qualities and standards that a tour guide must possess are: E good product knowledge; E good communication skills including pro"ciency in languages; and E right attitude with respect to service, willingness to help, respect, empathy, etc. Other comments made in relation to this issue were that tour guides should play the role of a `conciergea and should be quite knowledgeable about the cultural and entertainment attractions of the city and o!er the highest level of service possible. This idea provides an interesting and di!erent perspective of a tour guide's duties, which is worthy of consideration. One interviewee speci"cally complained about some tour guides' poor attitudes towards their job and that the level of professionalism has been considered by many interviewees to be on the decline. This may be attributed partly to the recent downturn in the inbound travel business and the resulting lack of business may have discouraged tour guides from putting in their best e!orts and provided a poor excuse for their low quality service delivery. 3.2.2. Complaints In terms of the service quality and professionalism of Hong Kong tour guides, it was generally acknowledged that the standard of service provided is high, particularly for the established English and Chinese speaking markets. It was mentioned that very few formal complaints
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are lodged against tour guides. If complaints are received they tend to relate to poor language skills, `cheatinga and too much shopping in the itinerary. The lack of complaints raises the question*If there are no apparent problems, why worry? However, visitors may not bother to complain due to lack of time and information about where to lodge complaints, or the fact it is to troublesome to lodge a complaint, especially when tourists have limited time at a destination. The concern raised apparently stems from worry that if such problems remain unchecked, it has the potential to irreparably damage Hong Kong's tourism image. 3.2.3. Unhealthy industry practices The complaint about `cheatinga mentioned in the previous section refers to unethical practices of some guides who force tourists to shop by closing the shop doors and preventing the tourists from leaving unless they have purchased something, or leading them to shops which o!er overpriced, poor quality or fake goods. Discussion focussed around the constraints often imposed upon tour coordinators by their employers (i.e. tour operators) and the so-called `cheatinga. This places the guides in an unenviable and awkward position because they are often forced to take tourists shopping and strictly follow the itinerary set by the employer. A tour guide described their predicament as follows: &&2some of the grudge feelings with the Taiwanese tourists regarding the shopping and all those things*we can't put it on the table. That's a reality of what we call `vicious competitiona between the Hong Kong based tour operator and their counterparts in Taiwan. One wants to do it for a hundred dollars, the others are selling the tour for "fty dollars. And this is not only happening with the Taiwanese tourists only, it occurs with the Japanese, and also some of the Western markets as well. We hate it. As a tour guide, I can tell you, my share on commissions is very very little. You see, because most of the share is actually kept by the travel agent. To be honest, I don't care about shopping, and in that instance - I'm not a good tour guide working for a company. I hate the shopping bits of it. Because HK is a shopping paradise everyone comes here, they have the freedom to shop where they please. But because the travel agent says you have to go to a certain place, this should not be related to concluding that the tour guide's performance is not right. Because one actually is following all the instructions (of the tour operator)''. Therefore, the quality and abilities of the tour guide may be unfairly judged and need to be considered in the context of employer constraints. Many tour guides do not have any intention to take tourists on substandard itineraries and shopping trips. One comment
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o!ered was that a good tour guide is assessed on how much commission he/she is able to derive for the tour operator not on the quality of service provided. The unhealthy competitive tour operator practices were con"rmed in both the in-depth and focus group interviews and have been publicly addressed by The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. In their newsletter, the Council reported that practices such as zerobased tour fares, where the inbound operator accepts a tour group without a fee, were creating problems for the industry (Travel Industry Council, 1999). Such problems arising were that the local operator was abandoning tour groups because tour members were not buying enough at the shops or accommodation reservations were not con"rmed prior to the tour groups' departure. The problem is further exacerbated by the heavy reliance on commissions in making a living. Results from a recent survey of HARTCO members con"rmed this observation where they found that the main source of a guide's income came from commissions (44%) while the basic salary accounted for 38% (HARTCO, 1998). The nature of the complaints raised need to be considered in context and it should be recognised that the unhealthy industry practices mentioned above are, fortunately, not widespread although they have considerable potential to damage the image of a destination. Furthermore, it must be recognised that unhealthy industry practices are a particularly sensitive issue especially for government and the various tourism authorities and/or trade associations. Hence obtaining information, is at best di$cult, since no member in the industry would want to air one's `dirty laundrya for all and sundry. 3.2.4. Training The absence of any formal and basic training for new entrants to the industry is a problem that leads to variable standards of service provision, and a lack of product knowledge. Most participants interviewed recognised there is need to provide basic training for new entrants and to also improve the tour guide's language skills. There was consensus that those working as tour guides should all receive some form of basic training and possess a certi"cate quali"cation. There is no real incentive for a newcomer to obtain formal training at an educational institution o!ering formal programmes, when it is not necessary to have a certi"cate to secure a job. One suggestion provided was that training should involve an `apprenticeshipa system whereby a newcomer obtains experience through working with and observing an experienced tour guide. 3.2.5. Remuneration Some discussion ensued about the level of remuneration received by guides being commensurate with
the level of training currently o!ered, which was considered by most, to be minimal. It was pointed out that some tour operators like it this way and perpetuate this situation because it keeps operators' costs down. Thus, the trade-o! would be that not too much should be expected from the tour guide as there is no expectation for the guides to be well trained and quali"ed. Views on whether the employer is prepared to pay more for better quali"ed tour guides were divided. Furthermore, tour guides in Hong Kong do not get to keep all the tips received from tourists. Tips and shopping commissions may be divided into four parts, i.e., for the tour guide, tour escort, land/local operator and overseas travel agent. Sometimes, tour guides may even pay to bid for tour groups from tour operators. This obviously imposes the risk of taking the tour group for more shopping and it was suggested that a standardized reward system should be established. 3.2.6. Image and status of tour guides Some interviewees thought tour guides in Hong Kong do not have high status because the image of tour guides is quite negative and their basic salary is low. One interviewee indicated tour guiding was generally perceived as an unglamorous job, especially by parents. This is because parents do not really understand the importance or role of tour guides and many had a misconception that the job primarily entailed taking tourists shopping. Lack of recognition of tour guides by both employers and government was another issue raised. Some employers were not prepared to give the recognition tour guides deserve and to compensate them accordingly. It was suggested that the government should take the role to enforce certi"cation and recognition of the tour guide so that standards are maintained and they can receive an appropriate level of remuneration. As one focus group participant pointed out &&2the industry itself has got to make it worthwhile for youngsters and people who want to join the industry to actually get into it. If it is a career which has prospects which has good standing, good remuneration, which is exciting, which is worthwhile spending a year of college for, which is worthwhile being trained for, and ultimately therefore obtaining a certi"cate or license is worthwhile,2. if it's simply just a piece of paper to say here we have a formal regulation, rather than issue an incentive to try to improve the industry, then I don't think it's going to work''. 3.2.7. Certixcation/licensing systems There was considerable discussion and debate about the need to certify, register or license tour guides. A consensus emerged that all tour guides should be certi"ed and have some basic entry quali"cation. Registration, possibly through a self-regulated system, may be adopted
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as a necessary requirement before anyone can actually practise as a tour guide. Thus, one may be certi"ed but not necessarily registered in order to practice. Any introduction of a certi"cation/ registration/ licensing system must be phased in and gradually introduced. There was no clear resolution on how the system should be implemented and who or which organisation should be responsible. Questions were raised about the value of self-regulation if there were no enforceable measures to make the industry comply. Other questions discussed were*Is registration an appropriate solution to upgrading the quality of service? What sort of registration are we looking for? How di!erent would it be to the existing arrangements? In addition, if few complaints are received about tour guides' performance and as their professionalism is considered high*What is the justi"cation for regulating the industry? On the issue of registration and licensing, a number of matters were raised in relation to*What is the purpose for having a compulsory registration or a formal licensing system? How should it be implemented? and Is it necessary? The reasons suggested for implementing a licensing system were to: E follow the practices of most countries elsewhere in the world which have such systems; E protect the livelihood of local tour guides; E improve the quality of service; E ensure a minimum standard of professionalism; and E enhance the image and recognition of tour guides. It was generally acknowledged that the main purpose for attempting to introduce a compulsory registration and/or licensing system was for the latter reasons rather than to simply license for the sake of following practices elsewhere around the world. Many respondents interviewed agreed to the need for the licensing of tour guides. Some tour guides were very much in favour of the licensing system because they can use it to have greater bargaining power with employers (travel agents/tour operators) if they are licensed. However, others worried about their low quali"cation, the examination fee and syllabuses. Employers (travel agents) may be afraid of the increased cost per tour once licensed tour guides are used and one interviewee indicated that there should be a transition period for licensing of tour guides (e.g. "rst certi"cation, then licensing). Otherwise, licensing of tour guides will not gain support if it proceeds too fast. Training and other measures need to be introduced to ensure there will be an eligible pool of trained guides when a formal licensing system is implemented. In Hong Kong, the inbound tour industry is not regulated and there is no body empowered to issue any directives that would be binding upon this sector of the
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industry. On the other hand, the outbound counterparts are licensed and bound by the directives issued by the Travel Industry Council. Given that one part of the tour operation industry is regulated, it appears strange that the other part is not. To make the system work, one needs the trade to accept it and comply with its requirements. Thus, it seems that the current problems of variable levels of service quality among tour guides may have to do more with the employers (i.e. the tour operators) and government than the guides themselves. 3.2.8. Role of the local tour guide association*HARTCO The role of a tour guide association was also addressed and, for many, the role of HARTCO is not very clear nor focussed, especially with its reliance on the HKTA for support. As a voluntary association, it was seen having little power and did not appear to o!er any substantive bene"ts for its members. It was indicated that for some tour operators, HARTCO is not signi"cant as it has no legal backing. It was generally felt that HARTCO could do more for its members in representing the tour guide's interests to government and/or adopting a code of ethics for its members. On a positive note, one interviewee said that `HARTCO is only a good source of information.a The numerous concerns and issues indicate there is certainly room for improvement.
4. Discussion and recommendations The issues and problems identi"ed have unearthed some unpleasant aspects of the current state and practices of tour guiding. Tour guiding is a lot more complex than the usually accepted and straightforward roles of being `information givera, `environmental interpretera or `culture brokera, as described in the literature (Cohen, 1985; EFTGA, 1998; McKean, 1976). The work and role of the tour guide is complicated by issues of the economic survival of the tourism industry which is characterised by very keen competition, questionable industry practices, and higher standards of service expected by tourists. Interestingly, the role of tour guides was not the major issue, which suggests that the industry and guides themselves do not "nd strains and con#icts in the various roles they may perform. In terms of the role played by the guides, the main concern stems from unhealthy industry practices whereby tour itineraries are dictated by the "nancial objectives of the tour operator and the guide's income being heavily reliant on commissions. While in the United Kingdom and even Mainland China, acceptance of commissions and/or tips are frowned upon or forbidden as in the case of China, in Hong Kong, commissions form the largest part
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of a guide's income (44%). While the practice of not accepting commission has merits and undoubtedly raises the professionalism of guiding in countries that adopt such practices, the acceptance of commissions is a matter of conscience. Hong Kong adopts a laissez-faire system and as it is lauded as having the world's freest economy, businesses have relatively few regulations to contend with. In the case of tour guiding, one needs to recognise that in Hong Kong, guides do not enjoy the bene"ts of a minimum wage and that their activities and those of inbound tour operators are not regulated. Hence, one cannot necessarily frown upon the practice of accepting commissions, as this is one of the consequences of having a laissez-faire economy. Thus, advocating that government should take a more active role in regulating inbound tour operators and tour guiding would be an action of last resort on the part of the government. While the government has expressed a preference for self-regulation, e!ective mechanisms must be in place for selfregulation to work. In the case of tour guiding, there have been unhealthy industry practices which impinge upon the performance of tour guides. Should this have a detrimental and adverse e!ect upon the sustainability of Hong Kong's tourism industry, proactive measures need to be implemented to protect the industry as well as Hong Kong's image. The issue of professional status seems to be a perennial problem when Pond (1993) stated that: &&Tour guides have always had a place*albeit at times on the lowest rung. History indicates that people 2 dislike uninformed and overzealous guides. And yet the same travelers 2 acknowledged that competent guides were necessary and desirable 2 The work of the tour guide is vastly misunderstood 2. Guides have been aptly called the orphans of the travel industry, somewhat hidden as they are within the trade'' (p.12). This problem is compounded by the fact that their work is often of a seasonal, freelance and part-time nature thus resulting in their visibility, stature and income being low. While the role of the tour guide is recognised as being important in `making or breaking a toura their recognition within society, unfortunately, is not as highly regarded. In Hong Kong, the situation is no di!erent to elsewhere around the developed and Western world. Hence, consideration should be given to develop programmes that publicise the professional work and enhance the status of tour guiding, especially to remove any misunderstanding or the stigmas that currently exist. Most of the issues and problems identi"ed do not relate directly to the role and performance of the tour guides themselves. In fact, while there seems to be concern about declining levels of professionalism of tour
guiding in Hong Kong, this does not appear to be the main concern as the guides are providing adequate levels of service. Furthermore, few complaints are received from tourists. The concern, really relates to poor levels of service having the potential impact of damaging Hong Kong's reputation and image as a leading Asian tourist destination. It is noted most issues are beyond the immediate control of the guides and their fate depends very much upon their recognition, and the co-operation or goodwill of other players such as the tour operators and government. Thus, leadership in addressing the issues raised really needs to come from the tour operators and government, if the problems are to be resolved. The most immediate problem is how to address the practice of zero-based tour fares, which is having a detrimental e!ect upon Hong Kong's tourism industry. Obviously, industry leaders and the respective tourism authorities need to tackle the problem. However, in the absence of any formal or self-regulation of this sector of the industry, introducing e!ective measures to stamp out such practices is problematic. Although HARTCO can play an active role in furthering the interests of its members and the guiding profession as a whole, it currently faces problems of its own in trying to establish a clear mission and demonstrating to its constituents the bene"ts it can o!er. Nonetheless, these problems do not provide an excuse for not taking the initiative in taking immediate steps to address many of the issues and problems raised with the relevant parties. It is recognised that the situation experienced in Hong Kong may be similar to other countries around the world (for example, United Kingdom, Spain and Austria) and that such issues and problems have been addressed in one way or another. Except for studies such as those reported by Holloway (1981) and Wong and Ap (2000), which have examined the nature and role of tour guiding in the United Kingdom and other countries, respectively, there is lack of readily accessible documentation of a research nature for the public and others in the industry. This lack of documentation poses one of the major impediments in the sharing of information and the experiences of other countries. Whilst the information and issues identi"ed in this paper may not be of a ground breaking nature, it would represent one of the few that formally documents the issues and problems faced by the tour guiding profession through a widely accessible medium. To attain a higher standard of service professionalism and e!ectively monitor the practices of Hong Kong's tour guides, recommendations were formulated. These recommendations, based upon an analysis and synthesis of the information collected in this study, represent the practical application of the study "ndings to enhance
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professional tour guiding practice. They are grouped under the respective issues that have been presented earlier. 4.1. Service quality/professionalism Recommendations concerning service quality and professionalism were: E to ensure a minimum level of service professionalism, a code of conduct/ethics for tour guides should be compiled, in consultation with industry, and adopted by HARTCO; E to raise the recognition, status and career opportunities of tour guides, industry members should set up an Industry Task Force to examine the nature and role of tour guides with the view to further developing their professional skills to a higher management level; and E e!ective monitoring and evaluation of service performance of tour guides should be adopted. 4.2. Image and status In improving the professional image and status of the tour guide within the community, it is necessary to promote greater public awareness and appreciation for the professional services of tour guides. Thus, it is recommended that HARTCO and the HKTA should seek the co-operation of related industry bodies to develop a publicity campaign. 4.3. Industry practices The practice of under-cost pricing which has been an unhealthy competitive practice that undermines tourists' con"dence in Hong Kong's tourism industry, should be banned, and minimum levels for tour fares should be established. The Government authorities and industry members should meet to establish a minimum rate of remuneration for tour guides which will provide a reasonable and stable income and reduce the heavy reliance placed on shopping commissions. 4.4. Training To ensure that Hong Kong's tour guides obtain a minimum standard of training, HARTCO/HKTA should introduce compulsory basic training to be undertaken by all new entrants who intend to practise as tour guides. In addition to the basic training course, the local guides association, industry members and educational institutions should meet to discuss the content and duration of refresher courses for updating, renewing product knowledge, and the self-development of the tour guides.
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For career advancement of tour guides, an advanced executive tour management course should also be designed and implemented. This will provide an opportunity for a guide to obtain further upgrading of his or her quali"cations and provide a career path enabling tour guides to go from tour guiding to management level tasks in tour co-ordination. This would also be necessary for licensing at the advanced level in the event that a formal licensing system is adopted. 4.5. Certixcation, registration or licensing Certi"cation and registration may be undertaken by self-regulation without the necessity of legislation. However, the outcome of this course of action should be reviewed to consider whether there is any need for formal licensing through legislation. Therefore: E in order to maintain the long term stability and professionalism of tour guides, formal licensing should be implemented; E to ensure the employment of appropriately quali"ed tour guides and the provision of high service quality, HARTCO/ HKTA should implement measures to monitor tour guide performance (e.g. on-the-site inspections and to introduce legally enforceable penalties for professional misconduct). 4.6. The role of the tour guide association (Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators*HARTCO) An expanded role for HARTCO is needed and HARTCO should meet with its members to discuss and introduce new and enhanced bene"ts, which will encourage greater participation and higher membership. Successful implementation of the recommended training programs and service quality monitoring system will require the co-operation and concerted e!orts of the local tour guides association*HARTCO, the relevant industry bodies, government authorities, and the tour guides themselves. High priority should be given to recommendations which will formalise and establish the basic standard of service professionalism for tour guiding. This would ensure uniformity and consistency in service standards for industry members who rely heavily on the services of tour guides and assure international tourists of high levels of service delivery. If the above-mentioned recommendations are implemented in the short to medium term, it will certainly lead to noticeable improvements in the training and practice of tour guiding in Hong Kong. The real test, however, is the commitment shown by the key players, especially the tour guides and HARTCO, in taking a concerted and determined e!ort to improve their level
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of professionalism. Leadership from tour operators and government is also required, as their actions in#uence and circumscribe, to a great extent, the role and activities of the tour guide.
5. Conclusion In summarising the main "ndings of the study, tour guiding in Hong Kong is characterised by the absence of a basic training course for new entrants and a lack of training opportunities generally which has led, in part, to variable levels of professionalism, a lack of recognition and a poor image of the profession. There is a voluntary system of registration for experienced tour guides, however, among members of the local tour guide association it does not appear to o!er enough tangible bene"ts. A low level of remuneration that relies heavily on commissions is also another characteristic. Fortunately, there are very few formal complaints from tourists about tour guides. The key issues and problems of tour guiding identi"ed in Hong Kong are: variable levels of professionalism; potential problems resulting from unhealthy industry practices; need for a certi"cation, registration or licensing system; absence of any monitoring of tour guide performance; and more active and visible role to be taken by the local tour guide association. The successful implementation of a strategy for upgrading the service professionalism of Hong Kong's tour guides will need the support of the government, the inbound tour operators and educational institutions. The recommended training programmes and a service quality monitoring system should be presented to the relevant industry bodies and government authorities for their endorsement and support. The various recommendations made are intended to provide the direction for change towards upgrading the service professionalism of Hong Kong's tour guides in the future. The improvement in level of service quality will serve Hong Kong's tourism industry very well, especially when the economy recovers. Upon re#ecting on the Hong Kong experience, the question is raised*What are the lessons, if any, to be learned for the guiding profession elsewhere? The experiences faced by the Hong Kong tour guides are unlikely to be unique and there may be some issues and problems raised that are common to the guiding profession elsewhere around the world. It is also noted that there has not been any international-wide tour guiding studies reported in the English-based literature and there is need for further research to determine and assess the current status of the profession. Based on the Hong Kong experience, in any attempt to upgrade and improve the perfor-
mance of tour guiding, the following are some lessons learned: 1. A limited or lack of training opportunities at the introductory and/or refresher levels will impede attempts to increase the professionalism and recognition of tour guiding; 2. The use of an `apprenticeshipa system where a newcomer learns through working with and observing an experienced guide for a short period of time can help set a higher standard and level of service within the profession; 3. Professionalism may be increased through a reevaluation or re-de"nition of the role and responsibilities of the tour guide through identifying a career path for the guiding profession and the adoption of new roles, such as a `conciergea and tour manager; 4. The performance and quality of the tour guide should be judged in the context of the employer requirements, itinerary and other constraints which may be imposed upon the guide and are beyond the control of the guide; 5. Unhealthy tour operator practices such as use of unquali"ed tour guides, reliance on commission income, price discounting and `buyinga of tour groups pose a threat to the sustainability of the profession and industry. Wherever possible, such practices should not be tolerated and preferably the practices should be regulated or banned; 6. For a system of formal licensing to work, the acceptance and support of the government and industry is necessary. Any e!ective monitoring system must have legally enforceable penalties; 7. The real purpose for introducing a compulsory licensing system such as following the practice of other countries, protecting the livelihood of guides, or ensuring a minimum standard of professionalism needs to be thoroughly addressed. Questions that need to be asked are*Is it an appropriate course of action?, and Will it actually lead to an improvement in the quality of service?; 8. In order for the tour guiding profession to increase its status and recognition, there is need for steady income based on a standard minimum rate and/ or standardised reward system. As long as commissions remain as the primary source of income, the guiding profession will remain at the mercy of tour operators and, at times, their questionable business practices; 9. In order for a tour guide association to operate e!ectively, it should have a clearly de"ned mission and role, o!er tangible bene"ts, have the authority to represent the interests of guides to government, industry and the community. A code of professional conduct or ethics to set standards of behaviour should also be adopted; and
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10. Besides dealing with day-to-day operational matters, from time to time, the tour guide profession and tour operators need to examine and assess the business environment in which they operate. They both need to think or plan strategically so that the respective parties may obtain mutual bene"t, and ensure the longterm sustainability of tourism in the community. Holloway (1981) noted almost 20 years ago that there was a paucity of studies on guides and tours, and this observation still applies today. This study represents one of the few documented, comprehensive and formal reviews undertaken of tour guiding in any country. An extensive review of the English-based literature, internet searches and communication with tour guide organisations such as the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations and local associations con"rm that studies of this type have not been undertaken. Part of this may be attributed to the fragmented and freelance nature of the profession where many are self-employed individuals who "nd di$culty and lack the resources to further their profession's own collective interests. Areas requiring future research would be to extend this type of study in other countries, conducting a survey of tour guides and obtaining their opinions on issues a!ecting them and the industry. There is also need for an
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international-wide study to examine what is the current state of tour guiding around the world and to identify the common issues and problems faced. In conclusion, this study has provided some interesting and revealing insights into understanding the nature of, and issues faced, by the tour guiding profession. Some new paths have been explored and some areas for future research have been identi"ed. This study is one of, hopefully, many more to come in the future as we develop a better understanding of the nature of tour guiding, and seek its long-term improvement.
Acknowledgements The assistance of Peter Sandiford and Ken Yeung, and the support of the Hong Kong SAR Government's Service Support Fund are gratefully acknowledged.
Appendix A Syllabus of the Tour co-ordinator Certi"cate Course is given in Table 1.
Table 1 Course aims To have a clear understanding of the responsibility of a professional tour co-ordinator To sharpen the participant's skills in tour co-ordination To have a correct and comprehensive understanding of Hong Kong Course contents Tour guiding management Destination knowledge of Hong Kong Customer service Contingency planning Two practical works on coach and walking tour commentaries (including video-taping for each participant) Duration Five days Course syllabus Part I. Tour guiding management Introduction to tour uuidinu History Pro"le of a tour guide Roles and duties of a tour guide Qualities of a good tour guide Working conditions Tour guiding in Hong Kong Guidinu techniques Use of microphone Manner of delivery Leadership and communication skills
Guest's arrival and departure formalities Pre-arrival Meeting on arrival On tour Departure Delivery of tour commentary Coach Walking Guidinu manauement Pre-tour research Familiarization of the geographic layout of the guiding route Use of maps and travel-related guides Co-ordination with ground operators Post-tour evaluation Professional ethics Importance in the industry Service attitude and commitment Responsibilities to travellers Relationships with colleagues Professional handling of gratuities Part II. Destination knowledge of Hong Kong General introduction Tourism History Geography Infrastructure studies Political infrastructure The Sino}British joint declaration The Basic Law Government structure (continued on next page)
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Table 1 (continued ) Economic infrastructure Industry and trade Finance and monetary a!airs Labour and employment Primary production Social infrastructure Education Health Social welfare Housing Public order Environment Transport (airport/ port development) Cultural infrastructure: religion and customs Recreation, sports and arts
Giving and accepting invitations Social behaviour Do's and taboos of hosting visitors from the following regions Asia and Paci"c America Europe Australia and New Zealand Africa and Middle East Customer service skills Handling travellers with special needs Sales techniques on optional tours Problem-solving skills Complaints handling Crisis management Part IV. Case studies
Part III. Customer service Customer psycholouy Identifying customers needs Consumer decision making process Rational and emotional factors Obtaining and using customer feedback Knowledge of current customers and demographic changes Ethics and moral considerations for tour guides Service and customer satisfaction Setting standards and achieving quality Consumer rights Cultural dimensions of tra*el and tourism Cultural aspects Cross-cultural awareness Concept and nature of culture Cultural dimensions (Hofstede studies) Religions/philosophical traditions Culture and communication Verbal communication Non-verbal communication Protocol, customs and etiquette The concept of time Gift giving and receiving Introduction and greetings
Guidinu Pre-arrival At arrival During the tour Hotel check in Departure Post tour Customer ser*ice Ethical situations Legal responsibilities Purchasing decisions Customer feedback Cultural dimensions Verbal communication Gestures and non-verbal cues Punctuality Gift-giving Meet and greet Religions Continuency planninu Crisis (e.g.transport, weather, death, illness, etc.) Complaints Accommodation and entertainment di$culties Natural disasters
Source: Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators.
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