Chapter 2

15
EULOGIO “AMANG” RODRIGUEZ INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter indicates the ideas relevant to the

present subject relating to the other studies and is briefly

discussed to provide the foundation of the proposed. In

order to develop a new method and procedures, careful review

of literature and studies had done for the development of

the system.

Local Literature

In today‟s busy world, traveling has emerged as an

important leisure activity that people undertake. Motivates

for travel come in a variety of reasons, among them are for

physical enjoyment. These include rest, relaxation and

recreation that would lead to release of stress or lessening

of tension from work. Others desire to learn about places

and their culture, while some enjoy meeting people or

visiting old friends and relatives. Self-fulfillment can

16

also be achieved through traveling as it contributes to

personal development and even elevates social status (Cruz,

2006; Goeldner& Richie, 2006; Claravall, 2008).

“A person-trip is defined as one person taking one trip. If

two persons go on that trip, that equals two-person trips. A

trip is any travel 100 miles or more away from home”.

(Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry

Clayton W. Barrows and Tom Powers p.415)

A tour becomes doubly enjoyable when there is a well-

trained tour guide who makes a place of interest alive with

his commentaries on almost anything: history, geography,

architecture, food, customs, and legend of trivia. An

average tourist may rely on guidebooks but the knowledge

that imparted by a tour guide may not be found in any

brochure. Tour guides are much like teachers; they deliver

information about a destination in an accurate and engaging

fashion. Thus, Mancini (2006) mentions that eighty percent

17

(80%) of tour travelers who became part of a previous survey

were extremely satisfied in tours where “learning” was an

important component. They too, were eager to share what they

learned to their friends and relatives. A tour guide is an

individual who leads groups of tourists around a town,

museum or other tourist attraction. The guide provides

correct and accurate information on the features, events and

history of the location; it is given therefore that he has

broad knowledge about the destination (Cruz, 2009).

Claravall further expounds that a tour guide is”. . . either

an employee or affiliate of a duly licensed travel and tour

agency, guides tourists, both foreign and domestic, for a

fee, commission or any other form of lawful remuneration on

local sightseeing excursions. (p.237).” Guides contribute

greatly to the overall tourist experience with their

knowledge, skill and wit. A tour guide personalizes visit to

any destination through his commentary, keeping his

narration light and engaging so that his guests will

18

thoroughly enjoy themselves. Through the information he

imparts, he fosters greater understanding among the locals

and tourists. He informs the visitors about the local

culture and environment. At the same time, he cautions them

on how they must conduct themselves in the destination. This

way, misconceptions about communities are cleared up and

tourists come to appreciate local culture and the

environment. Moreover, a tour guides take care of the safety

of his guests while in the destination.

“A tour guide may take people on sight-seeing excursions of

limited duration”

(Travel Perspectives A Guide to Becoming a Travel Professional Ginger

Gorham/ Susan Rice p.9)

A tour manager or tour escort, however is different

from a tour guide. While both carry administration duties

and handle clients booked with a tour operator, a tour

manager is an individual who accompanies the guests for the

duration of the entire tour (from point of origin to the

19

destination and back) and manages the groups, movements and

activities. The tour guide on the other hand acts as the

host and operates only in one area or destination. He is

with the tour only for few hours, usually returning to his

home each night.

(Mancini, 2007; Cruz, 2009; Collins, 2000; Claravall, 2008).

Guiding people is a talent. It is to gather all the

important information. A good tourist guide is the one, who

presents all the information in a simple yet exact way.

Being a tour guide is a unique opportunity to live and work

with the must-see places and sites of the world.

A key factor in the cultural process of concept

formation has been the tour guide. The modern role of tour

guiding has its roots in the Grand Tour of the 17th and 18th

centuries: „the most satisfactory method of travelling was .

. . under the direction and with the help of a vetturino .

. . who acted as guide and courier‟

(TOURISM: A New Perspective/Peter M. Burns and Andrew Holden p.57)

20

There are many different types of tours and so there

are a great many types of tour guides. However, there are

some essential skills all tour guides must have in order to

be effective.

In Communication Skill: Oratory skills, where a tour

guide must have great communication skills and be able to

talk in depth and at length repeatedly throughout the days

and weeks. This takes a lot of toll on a person‟s tongue,

mouth and throat and experience and skill at speeches and

talking would be an essential skill for any tour guide.

Knowledge, a tour guide must have extensive and

accurate knowledge of the flora, fauna and history of the

local area as well as the site or sites they are

specifically touring. A tour group tends to task many

similar questions but there will always be something new.

Research skills, the biggest difference between a good

tour guide and a bad one is the accuracy and how up to date

their information is. A tour guide should have good research

21

skills so they have right info the information.

Engaging personality, to provide enjoyable tours, a

tour guide should also have an outgoing, enthusiastic and

engaging personality. Someone who enjoys questions and can

entertain their group is something tour companies look for.

An interest in traveling, many tour companies try to

find guides who have traveled extensively so they may be

able to better serve the variety of cultures and ethnicities

they will encounter in a tour group.

Organizational skills, there is a great amount of

organization needed for being a tour guide both in the

information they many provide and as well as taking account

of everybody in a single tour group to ensure their safety.

Memory, a tour guide should have a high capacity for

memorization because of the amount they are expected to know

and be able to tell off the top of their head without going

back to look things up.

22

Patience, everything seems obvious to the one who knows

the answer, and as a tour guide you will often encounter

situations where a great deal of patience is needed. It is

also necessary to be able to cope with stressed tourists and

possible dissatisfied customers.

Confidence, as the face and voice of ancient castles

and living cultures, a certain amount of confidence is

needed to project authority and mastery of the information.

A hesitant or unconfident tour guide is not only unpleasant

to watch but also will not inspire confidence in their tour.

Leadership skills, to ensure an enjoyable and effective

tour, a guide must have some leadership abilities to

encourage and direct the group when needed. Depending on the

type of tour offered, the guide may have to travel with a

group for a long time or over significant distance and to do

this it is essential they are a good leader.

(http://www.paidemployment.com/Articles/Ten_Essential_Skills_for_a_Tour_G

uide;173.aspx)

23

Time management skills are the abilities of a tour

guide to recognize and solve personal time management

problems. The goal of these time management lessons is to

show tour guide what he can do to improve those skills. With

good time management skills you are in control of your time

and your life, of your stress and energy levels. You make

progress at work. You are able to maintain balance between

your work, personal, and family lives. You have enough

flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities.

Safety is something many guides overlook. Nothing is

more critical than making sure your guests are safe. Always

carry an emergency medical kit on your person. Band-Aids are

particularly important because feet tend to blister from all

the walking associated with sight-seeing. At your earliest

convenience take a CPR training course.

Decision making is an essential leadership skill. If tour

guide can learn how to make timely, well-considered

24

decisions, then tour guide can lead his team to well-

deserved success.

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-defined

career path and their incomes are reliant on a variety of

income sources.

“As a tour guide, you occupy a key position in the

promotion of this world wide industry... you become the

bridge between nations, you can promote friendly contact,

rapport and understanding between peoples“.

(Tour Guiding Primer, 2008, p. 6)

25

Foreign Literature

Customer expectations are “pretrial beliefs about a

product …that serve as standards or reference points against

which product performance is judged” (Zeithaml, Berry, &

Parasuraman, 2003, p. 1). Most research on service

expectations has entailed examination of either service

quality or satisfaction. This comes as no surprise

considering the central role expectation plays in

conceptualizing satisfaction and service quality (Moutinho,

2007; Oliver, 2000; Parasuraman, Berry, & Zeithaml, 2001;

Pizam, Neumann, & Reichel, 2008; Turner, Reisinger, &

McQuilken, 2001; Zeithamletc al., 2003).

Customer expectations have been studied in cross-cultural

contexts. For instance, in their study on hotel service

quality and customer satisfaction in China, Y. Wang and

Pearson (2002) assessed service expectation by evaluating

the importance of various service items. More recently,

Kanousi‟s (2005) study showed that culture may impact

26

service recovery expectations, and specifically

individualism, masculinity, and long-term orientation (i.e.,

three of the five Hofstadter cultural dimensions) were

related to service recovery expectations. Similarly, Kuehand

Voon (2007) examined how culture influences the service

expectations of Generation Y consumers, and their findings

showed that uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation

positively affected service quality expectations, but power

distance affected service quality expectations in a negative

way.

Taking a qualitative approach, Lidén and Edvardsson

(2003) examined customer expectations on service guarantees

in public transport. In seven focus group sessions,

participants were told how to develop a chart of their

expectations on service guarantees. Lidén and Edvardsson

(2003) also explored in detail customers‟ needs and thoughts

as sources of expectation. Their findings emphasized the

importance of fairness as part of the guideline of service

27

guarantee design. Next, the authors will turn to a review of

Chinese outbound tourism. 2.3. The Development of Chinese

Outbound Tourism. The Chinese government, through the

establishment of the Approved Destination Status (ADS)

system, started allowing the Chinese public to travel

overseas for leisure purposes in early 2000s. Nevertheless,

some may argue the starting point of Chinese outbound

tourism could be tracked back to 2003, when Mainland Chinese

citizens were allowed to visit Hong Kong and Macao under

special arrangements (Qu & Lam, 2007; Zhang & Heung, 2001).

In 2007, through the enactment of the “Provisional

Regulation on Self-supported Outbound Travel,” the Chinese

government officially revised its tourism policy so that

people could travel abroad at their own expense (Arlt, 2006;

Guo, Kim, & Timothy, 2007). To date, there were a total of

139 countries and territories with ADS, and 104 of these

agreements were already implemented (Qian, 2010). In 2009,

Mainland Chinese citizens made approximately 47.66 million

28

trips outside Mainland China (Qian, 2010).

The rapid growth of Chinese outbound tourism has been

frequently associated with such descriptors as “stunning” or

“astonishing” (Guo et al., 2007; Y. Wang & Sheldon, 2005).

Thanks to the country‟s fast economic development, rising

individual wealth, and the relaxation of much travel

restrictions imposed by authorities, the Chinese outbound

tourism market grew at an average rate of 21 percent per

year from 2002 to 2007 (National Bureau of Statistics of

China, 2003; 2004; 2008). Indeed, the unleashed demand for

travel abroad is so large that the growth rate of China‟s

outbound travel surpassed that of the country‟s national

economy, inbound and domestic tourism, and primarily all

other Asian and developed countries (Guo et al., 2007).

Also, Chinese outbound tourism has been developing steadily;

in 2003, when SARS was sweeping the globe, the total number

of Chinese outbound visitors still increased by 21.8%

(National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2004). In the year

29

of 2009, despite the global economic slowdown, China

outbound tourism maintains a 4-percent growth rate (Qian,

2010).

From destinations‟ point of view, China has become an

important source market. In Asian countries such as Japan,

Singapore, and the Philippines, the Greater China Region

(Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) has emerged

as their leading source market (Japanese Tourism Marketing

Co., 2009; Philippine Department of Tourism, 2009; Singapore

Department of Statistics, 2009). In other countries, such as

the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, China is

among their fastest-growing source markets and has quickly

become one of their top Asian markets (Canadian Tourism

Commission, 2008; Office for National Statistics, 2008;

Sheatsley etc., al., 2009).

A recent study estimated that the current Chinese

outbound travel market comprises approximately 22 million

people who have traveled or plan to travel to destinations

30

outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. Among them,

11.5 million have traveled or plan to travel to destinations

outside Asia (Li, xHarrill, Uysal, Burnett, & Zhan, 2010).

Although the current size of Chinese outbound travel is

already quite impressive, from a percentage-of-total

population standpoint, Chinese outbound tourism development

remains in an early stage but with huge growth potential

(Lim & Y. Wang, 2008). Further, despite the current global

economic slowdown, China‟s economy is by and large in good

shape. Chinese outbound travel is hence expected to continue

growing steadily (although at a lower rate) and “contribute

to the stability of the world‟s tourism economy” (Dai,

2008). This will probably make China an even more important

target market for destination marketing organizations (DMOs)

worldwide.

Local Studies

A tour guide is an individual who leads groups of

tourists around a town, museum or other tourist attraction.

31

The guide provides correct and accurate information on the

features, events and history of the location. It is given

therefore that he has broad knowledge about the destination

(Cruz, 2009). Claravall further expounds that a tour guide

is “. . . either an employee or affiliate of a duly licensed

travel and tour agency, guides tourists, both foreign and

domestic, for a fee, commission or any other form of lawful

remuneration on local sightseeing excursions. (p. 237).”

Tourist guiding has an important and multifaceted role

in tourism. A safe and quality experience offered by a

guided tour involves the guide, tourists and the

environment, and is fulfilled when all the three components

interact at the same point in space and time. The role of

guides in the tourism system distinguishes itself by its

potential to manage and orchestrate tourist experiences,

enhance destination image and implement the goals of

responsible tourism.

32

A well-traveled person has a wider outlook in life;

more often than not they are also looked up by others.

Travel, after all is considered a natural teacher and a

bridge to understanding of people. It is not surprising

therefore, that Cruz (2006) describes travelling not as a

want but a need.

Tour guiding is a very satisfying occupation. Aside

from meeting many people, one can earn a good salary, not to

mention tips that satisfied guests will give. Andoy Dalimag,

enthusiastically shares his experience: “Being a tourist

guide is fun and almost like playing. . . It is something I

like doing because my town has a great tourist attraction

plus I get to meet and learned from the people I tour

(Gordon commends, 2008).” A tour guide is not uprooted from

his home and does not have the responsibility of overseeing

to all the needs of his clients, unlike that of a tour

escort. It also builds character and challenges one‟s

skills. Constant interaction with different types of people

33

tests one‟s patience and decision making skills (Mancini,

2006).

Guides contribute greatly to the overall tourist

experience with their knowledge, skill and wit. A tour guide

personalizes visit to any destination through his

commentary, keeping his narration light and engaging so that

his guests will thoroughly enjoy themselves.

Through the information he imparts, he fosters greater

understanding among the locals and the tourists. He informs

the visitors about the local culture and environment. At the

same time, he cautions them on how they must conduct

themselves in the destination. This way, misconceptions

about communities are cleared up and tourists come to

appreciate local culture and the environment. Moreover, a

tour guide takes care of the safety of his guests while in

the destination.

34

Foreign Studies

The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Hornby, 2000,

p.572) defines a guide as „a person who shows other people

the way to a place, especially somebody employed to show

tourist around interesting places‟. In this definition,

providing direction is indicated as the primarily role of a

guide. This path finding role is the original function of a

guide who acts as a geographical guide to offer directions

(Cohen, 2005).

A key actor in the cultural process of concept

formation has been the tour guide. The modern role of tour

guiding has its roots in the Grand Tour of the 17th and 18th

centuries: „the most satisfactory method of travelling was .

. . under the direction and with the help of an vetturino

. . . who acted as guide and courier‟

(TOURISM: a new perspective/Peter M. Burns/Andrew Holden p.57)

35

The International Association of Tour Managers (IATM)

ant the European Federation of Tourist Guide as a person who

guides groups or 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 environment

(European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, 2008).

These industry bodies perceive the tour guide‟s role as

providing not only direction but also cultural and

environmental interpretation. It is implied that

interpretation is a part of guiding. The practice of

interpretation was originally used in the USA National Park

Service, and then adopted by others in both the public and

non-public sectors. The goal of interpretation is to convey

the magnificence of a place, inspire visitors and ultimately

convince them of the need to persevere parklands‟ (Pond,

2003, p.71). „Interpretation provides the sociological,

36

educational and cultural underpinning of guiding‟ (Pond,

2003, p.71). Cohen (2005) posits that interpretation is the

essence of the cultural-mediating role of tour guides, As a

result, interpretation is increasingly recognized by tourism

industry bodies and researches as a key function of guiding

(Cohen, 2005; Weiler et al., 2001; Pond, 2003; Gurung et

al., 2006; Weiler and Ham, 2011).

In addition, the aforementioned definitions underline

the multifaceted nature of the guiding job by categorizing

tour guides based on types of tours including inbound or

domestic; the tour setting such as city or regional; the

subject matter (e.g. cultural, natural heritage and

environment) as well as the negative language of the tour

client.

As indicated in their organizational names, we can see

that the International Association of Tour Managers (IATM)

and European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations

(EFTGA) also distinguish between the job of a tour manager

37

and a tour guide. Tour Manager, often used interchangeably

with courier, tour escort and tour leader, refers to a

person whose escorts the group during the entire trip, and

is mainly responsible for managing the logistical aspects of

the tour (Cohen, 2005). A tour guide, normally city-based,

accompanies the group on day tours and sometimes on

overnight tours. His or her major role is to provide the

group with the information on the visited place(s). The tour

guide might also undertake some of the administrative

responsibilities of a tour manager (Hollaway, 2001).

However, in many cases, especially in non-urban areas, the

roles of tour manager and guide are often merged and the

differences between the two are blurred. For the purpose of

this chapter, we define a tour guide as someone who plays

the roles of both tour manager and tour guide.

“A tour guide may take people on sight-seeing excursions of

limited duration”

38

(Travel Perspectives A Guide to Becoming a Travel Professional/Susan Rice

p.9)

This review of definitions of tour guides reveals that

a tour guide‟s role can be multifaceted, including provision

of direction and information on attractions and the visited

region, facilitating understanding of the destination and

its culture and managing the safety, security and control of

the group (Schmit, 2009; Hollaway, 2001; Pond, 2003). The

level of demand for each of these roles depends upon the

nature of the group and the situation (Hollaway, 2001).

Based on existing definitions, we define a tour guide of

inbound group tours as a person who leads groups from abroad

to the important sites of a city or region, provides

commentary and interpretation of cultural and natural

attractions in the language of the visitors, facilitates

tourists‟ experiences in the host country and manages the

tour.

39

Most respondents showed interest in local culture and

customs such as participating in local events, festivals,

and shows. A respondent in Beijing commented, “[I would like

to experience] local surroundings. For example, younger

tourists who visit England can go to a concert to experience

the atmosphere; older tourists may want go to an opera.”

Participants in Beijing and Shenzhen said that they prefer

to see things not available in China. For instance, some

were curious about red-light districts, sex museums, and

other adult-entertainment venues, simply because those are

prohibited in China. Although half of the FGs would like to

experience some local nightlife, respondents in Guangzhou

and Nanjing thought that evening should be reserved for

resting because daytime activities are exhausting.

As for activities, some FG participants reported

interests in shopping. For example, a respondent in Xi‟an

expected tour operators to have a better understanding of

“…Chinese shopping habits: What kind of things should they

40

buy when traveling abroad? What gifts would they buy for

seniors and what would they buy for children? So that they

could provide suitable products to satisfy Chinese needs for

shopping.”Another respondent in Shenzhen preferred to visit

“shopping areas with local flavor instead of regular shops.

No matter if purchases are made, the experience will be

better.” A respondent in Tianjin commented, “The only thing

which attracts me is shopping; there are international

brands at very good prices.” All participants indicated that

they did not want “forced” shopping. In addition, their

activities of interest include extreme sports, horse-riding,

fruit-picking, gambling, shows, and parties.

Synthesis of Related Literature and Studies

Based on our groups‟ research, we are confident to

conclude that a Filipino tour guide provide a link between

tourists and destinations by giving information that

eventually helps in understanding and appreciation of

cultures.

41

Therefore, there are some essential skills all tour

guides must have in order to be effective.

Communication Skills. 1.Oratory skills 2.Knowledge

3.Research skills 4.Engaging personality 5.An interest in

traveling 6.Organizational skills 7.

Memory8.Patience9.Confidence10.Leadership skills;

(http://www.paidemployment.com/Articles/Ten_Essential_Skills_for_a_Tour_G

uide;173.aspx)

Management Skills; Critical thinking skills; Decision making

skills.

However, we found out that the functions and

effectiveness of the tourist guide in every tourist

destination depends on the qualities of a tour guide such

as: enthusiasm, outgoing and approachable, self-confidence,

proactive nature, sensitivity, flexibility, authenticity,

pleasant, professional appearance, sense of humor,

knowledge, good communication skills, organization,

42

decisiveness, good health, personal integrity, charisma,

love of country, people-loving, open mindedness,

tactfulness, punctuality, proper decorum, honesty,

resourcefulness, fairness in treatment, patience, reasonable

and humble.

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2