Evaluating communication competency of tour guides using a modified importance-performance analysis (MIPA)

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this research is to evaluate the communication competency of tour guides using a modified importance–performance analysis (MIPA). Tour guides are cultural ambassadors of a country; their communication skills can make or break tourists’ experiences with guided tours and memories of a destination. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 387 professional tour guides representing 38 per cent of all tour guides in Antalya, Turkey. The study further performs factor analysis using 32 communication competency items to determine underlying performance dimensions. This is followed by an MIPA to statistically identify the gap between factors that tour guides consider important and their perceptions of how they perform on these factors. Findings The study reveals that tour guides need improvement in verbal skills such as grammar, manner of speech and choice of words, as well as non-verbal behaviors such as approachability and the ability to remain friendly while maintaining a certain personal space. Research limitations/implications Due to the nature of this study and certain time limitations, the most effective method proved to be collecting data from a convenient sample of tour guides during their annual workshop. The theory of behavioral communication competency details theoretical and practical implications. Practical implications The study findings provide tour operators and the Association of Professional Tour Guides with a platform from which they can launch educational seminars and workshops to enhance tour guides’ communication competency. Originality/value The study contributes two main findings: This research provides a first-of-its-kind examination of professional tour guides’ communication competency using MIPA. The study improves the efficacy of traditional importance–performance analysis (IPA) models by enhancing them with a gap analysis through a t-test and effect size analysis including a gap analysis takes the arbitrariness out of the process of determining the location of items within the IPA grid. Tourism service providers can use these findings to offer educational seminars that can increase the skill sets of tour guides.

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The Evaluation of Competency-Based Diagnosis System and Curriculum Improvement of Information Management

“…Training curriculums on communication skills can help workers to cope with customer feedback (Dunbar, Brooks & Kubicka-Miller, 2006, Mirchandani, 2012Roberts, 2010). Besides, the competency of communication is positive to job performance (Jahwari et al, 2016;Khamkhaeng & Rojniruttikul, 2019;Yu & Ko;2017). So the training of good communication and expression is necessary to be concentrated.…”

COVID-19 and Central European Tourism: The Competitiveness of Slovak Tourist Guides

“…Many papers do not study the factors on a holistic level but instead focus on individual qualities of tourist guides which increase their competitiveness, such as communication competency (Leclerc and Martin, 2004;Al Jahwari et al, 2016), intercultural competence (Huang and Wang, 2007), emotional intelligence (Min, 2010), or even the design and content of the guide's online profile (Banerjee and Chua, 2020). Some authors direct their attention to specific types of tours and analyse visitors' perception of guiding services in the Himalayas (Poudel et al, 2013) or in natural areas in general (Randall and Rollins, 2009).…”