Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563

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 individual visitors from abroad or from the home coun-

try around the monuments, sites and museums of a city
Tour guides are the essential interface between the host or region; to interpret in an inspiring and entertaining
destination and its visitors. In fact, they are front-line manner, in the language of the visitor's choice, the cul-
employees who are very much responsible for the overall tural and natural heritage and environmenta (EFTGA,
impression and satisfaction with the tour services o!ered 1998).
by a destination. Geva and Goldman (1991) for example, Key areas of a tour guide's job description as de"ned
found that the performance of the tour guide was an above include environmental interpretation in an
important attribute to the success of the tour, while inspiring and entertaining manner, operation in a clearly
Mossberg (1995) noted that the tour guide was regarded de"ned cultural/ geographical area and specialised
an important element in selecting a charter tour. linguistic knowledge. Another de"nition provided by the
While there are various de"nitions of a tour guide, an Professional Tour Guide Association of San Antonio
internationally accepted de"nition given by the Interna- (1997) is that the guide is `a person with an e!ective
tional Association of Tour Managers and the European combination of enthusiasm, knowledge, personality
Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (EFTGA) is qualities and high standards of conduct and ethics
that a tour guide is a person who*`Guide groups or 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
* Corresponding author. Tel.: #852-2766-6348; fax: #852-2362- that it focusses upon the importance of the personality
9362. and conduct of the guide as essential ingredients that
E-mail address: hmjohnap@polyu.edu.hk (J. Ap). 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
552 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563

personality, the Professional Tour Guide Association of a!ord to be lax about the level of service o!ered by the
San Antonio suggests that the secret to success of being various providers.
a tour guide is*`loving the subject and the people we The main purpose of this paper is to examine and
present it toa. That is, having a passion for your subject assess the current state of tour guiding in Hong Kong.
and taking an interest in each guest. In essence, the work More speci"cally, objectives of the paper are:
of a tour guide not only involves the transmission of
information, but also presenting it in an interesting and E to examine the current state of tour guiding practice in
sincere manner. Hong Kong;
Tour guides have also been described by several E to identify the issues and problems faced by the tour
authors as `an information giver and fount of know- guiding profession;
ledgea, `mentora (Cohen, 1985), `a mediatora (de Kadt, E to recommend strategies to raise the standard, recogni-
1979; Nettekoven, 1979), and `culture brokera (McKean, tion, and quality of services provided by tour guides;
1976). The mediator and cultural broker functions, as and
suggested here, refers to the interpretive aspects of the E to examine the implications of the Hong Kong experi-
tour guide's work which plays a vital role in enhancing ence for the guiding profession elsewhere around the
the visitors' experience at a destination and their under- world.
standing of the destination and its culture.
Cross (1991), Mancini (1990) and Pond (1993) provide
useful practical hands-on information about tour guiding 2. Methodology
practice, professionalism, and address issues such as the
role of guiding, guiding skills and techniques, and the This study adopted a qualitative and descriptive case
problems and issues that a guide may face when leading study approach (Yin, 1989). It was considered the most
a tour. Pond (1993), for example, indicated that the role appropriate method to adopt given its exploratory na-
of the guide includes one who is: ture and the limited availability of information on this
topic. A case study based on the Hong Kong experience
E a leader capable of assuming responsibility; is presented to highlight the relevant issues as funds from
E an educator to help the guest understand the places an external source were made available for such a study
they visit; to be conducted.
E an ambassador who extends hospitality and presents The study setting is Hong Kong, one of Asia's leading
the destination in a way that make visitors want to tourist destinations, and at its height in 1996, there were
return; 11.7 million international tourist arrivals that brought in
E a host who can create a comfortable environment for HK$84.5 billion (US$10.83 bn) in tourism receipts (Hong
the guest; and Kong Tourist Association, 1998). Not surprisingly,
E a facilitator who knows how and when to ful"ll the tourism is one of Hong Kong's top foreign exchange
previous four roles. earning industries. Due to a number of factors such as the
Asian "nancial currency turmoil in mid-1997, a down-
In Hong Kong, for example, it is estimated there are turn in tourist arrivals occurred throughout Asia. Tourist
currently 2500 tour guides (or tour co-ordinators as they arrivals dropped 20% and 8% in 1997 and 1998, respec-
are known in Hong Kong) providing services to a diver- tively (Hong Kong Tourist Association, 1999). The road
sity of international visitors. However, some tour oper- towards recovery to achieve a strong and sustained fu-
ators and industry association o$cials consider that the ture growth in Hong Kong's tourism industry requires
existing level of professionalism of the Hong Kong tour a careful re-evaluation and in-depth understanding of the
guides may not be up to international standards and fundamental strengths and weaknesses of the industry.
requires review. Pond (1993), for instance, indicated that: The tourism industry is a distinctively service based one,
`History has shown that training, evaluation and regula- which relies heavily on high quality service delivery. As
tion of guides yields great rewards not only for travelers there were concerns about variable levels of professional-
and guides but also for sites, cities and whole societies as ism among tour guides, potential problems exist (e.g. lack
wella (p. 12). Thus, the importance of the training, evalu- of training opportunities and unhealthy industry practi-
ation and regulation of guides, including their level of ces) which led to this study being initiated by the local
professionalism, cannot be ignored. Unless the issue of tour guide association (Hong Kong Association of Regis-
professionalism, and the problems and concerns about tered Tour Co-ordinators*HARTCO) with the support
tour guiding are addressed, this may lead to increasing of government funding.
complaints from visitors about the quality of guide servi- Data collection for this study was obtained from
ces and result in damaging the image of a tourist destina- various sources, namely: secondary data, two sets
tion. Moreover, all tourist destinations strive to provide of in-depth interviews with 13 individuals and focus
quality touring experiences for its visitors and one cannot group interviews. HARTCO and the Hong Kong Tourist
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563 553

Association guided selection and the composition of opinions among all the key members to achieve a com-
those interviewed. Interviewees, for example, represented mon understanding, provide greater insights into the
all the key players involved in tour guiding such as tour issues, problems and recommend solutions. The focus
operators, hoteliers, legislators, government o$cials, group comprised eleven (11) members of industry, includ-
educators, as well as practicing tour guides. Collection of ing a tour guide, who were invited to discuss aspects of
data was carried out in three stages over a 5-month tour co-ordinating standards, practices and requirements
period commencing February, 1998. Firstly, a broad in Hong Kong. Discussion was speci"cally directed to
overview was conducted, based on desk research as well the need for certi"cation, registration or licensing of tour
as information supplied by HARTCO. In-depth inter- guides. The participants represented di!erent key indus-
views were initially held with four key industry members, try players all of whom had either direct or relevant links
all of whom were directly involved with either the to tour guiding in Hong Kong. The interviews were tape
work or training of tour guides. Each interview which recorded and also fully transcribed. The questions asked
lasted approximately 1}1.5 hours, was tape recorded and were:
fully transcribed. This initial stage of the study was
Service standards
designed:
1. What do you think are the essential services that
E to examine the current state, practices and training of should be provided by Hong Kong tour guides?
tour guides in Hong Kong; 2. What professional standards should Hong Kong tour
E to identify any key issues and problems of the industry; guides have?
E to obtain a general impression on the licensing of tour 3. What do you think of the service quality of tour guides
guides; and at present?
E to obtain opinions about HARTCO as a local tour
Training/certixcation/recognition
guide association.
4. Is the current training available for training tour
A set of open-ended questions was used to guide the guides su$cient?
in-depth interviews in both the "rst and second stages of 5. Has su$cient attention and recognition been given to
the study. They were: tour guide quali"cations?
6. Should certi"cation be compulsory?
1. What is professionalism (in relation to tour guides)?
Registration/licensing
2. What opinions do you have about the training of tour
guides in Hong Kong? 7. Should there be registration of tour guides? If so, who
3. What issues does the tour guiding profession in Hong should be responsible for it?
Kong currently face? 8. Should a formal, legislatively backed licensing system
4. What do you think is the role of a tour guide be introduced?
association?
Due to a lack of time, the registration/licensing ques-
In the second stage of the study, the current state of the tions were not addressed in the focus group interview,
role, system and practices of tour guiding in Hong Kong but a follow up interview meeting was held with a senior
were examined further. In-depth interviews were conduc- government o$cial and the HARTCO chairman. In
ted with another set of key players involved with tour analysing the data collected, content analysis was used.
guiding. These interviews were conducted with nine indi- Following transcription of the interviews, the investiga-
viduals who were directly or indirectly involved with tour tors systematically and carefully reviewed the data before
guiding. The purpose of these in-depth interviews was to identifying the common elements, patterns and trends. In
solicit detailed information, opinions, and insights on addition, coding was undertaken in accordance to cri-
practices and issues relating to tour guiding in Hong teria speci"ed by Strauss and Corbin (1998), such as
Kong such as professionalism, training and certi"cation, neutral, frequently appearing in the data, ease of refer-
etc. ence to other categories. Member checking, where the
The "ndings and results obtained in the previous transcripts for interviews were transcribed and forwarded
stages were used to formulate the agenda and questions to each interviewee to check and verify that the notes
for the third and "nal stage in which a focus group represent an accurate record of the interview, was con-
interview meeting was held in June 1998. Key players ducted to verify the trustworthiness of the interview data
from the tourism industry attended this meeting to pres- (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
ent their views and opinions on various issues and prob- Furthermore, through adoption of a three-stage
lems primarily identi"ed in the previous stages of the investigation, triangulation was thus used to help verify
study. The main purpose of the focus group meeting the "ndings in the subsequent stages. As a qualitative
was to allow for interaction and exchange of views and study, one of the limitations is that the "ndings are not
554 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563

representative and the "ndings need to be interpreted Boards (Cross, 1991) and the Professional Tour Guide
with caution. However, the insights obtained do provide Association of San Antonio (1997). The course involves
valuable information about the current state of profes- written and practical examinations and course partici-
sional tour guiding practice. pants 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.
3. Findings Besides the Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course, two
educational institutions provide sub-degree level train-
Initially, the results of the fact "nding investigation ing, namely for those who pursue the one year full-time
on the current state of Hong Kong tour guiding Tour Co-ordination Certi"cate programme, or the three
are presented, followed by the issues and problems year Higher Diploma in Travel and Tourism course.
identi"ed and discussed in the in-depth or focus group Unless one formally enrolls in the programmes o!ered by
interviews. the educational institutions, there is currently no basic
course available to those who wish to enter the profes-
3.1. Current state of tour guiding sion. Since the "ve Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course
only accepts those with a minimum of two years work
It is estimated there are currently about 2500 tour experience, there is a vacuum in the provision of basic
guides in Hong Kong, but only 500 of them have joined training for tour guides in Hong Kong. Concerns about
the local tour guide association*HARTCO, on a vol- the variable level of professionalism initially stem from
untary basis. There is no formal certi"cation or licensing the fact that there is ease of entry into the profession
system for tour guides in Hong Kong, although guides without the need for any formal training, low level entry
who have at least 2 years experience may be registered requirements for entry into existing formal programmes,
through the Hong Kong Tourist Association upon suc- and absence of entry level training.
cessful completion of a tour co-ordinator certi"cate Fortunately, to date, there have not been too many
course. complaints received about tour guides according to in-
HARTCO, was established in 1984 by the Hong Kong dustry sources. It might be noted that the Consumer
Tourist Association (HKTA) which also provides "nan- Council and Hong Kong Tourist Association, as a matter
cial and secretarial support. It was set up because tour of standard practice and due to the sensitivity of this
guides are front-line sta! representing Hong Kong and it information, do not release information on the nature
was considered important to maintain the quality of and number of complaints. However, according to the
these tour guides by setting up an organization to look interviewees and focus group members, the most com-
after their interests. Services provided by HARTCO in- mon complaints about tour guides include inadequate
clude: half to one day workshops/seminars such as "rst commentary, undue emphasis given to shopping, poor
aid and safety on coaches; updated product knowledge standard of English, and unprofessional behaviour. In
and relevant information about Hong Kong through its summary, the state of tour guiding in Hong Kong may be
newsletter, presentations given by the HKTA, Govern- characterised by:
ment departments and professional bodies, and on-site
activities/ visits. While HARTCO has the right to revoke E an absence of a basic training course for new entrants;
membership if a guide does not ful"ll his/her obligations E limited training opportunities;
there is no monitoring system in place. It was also noted E variable levels of professionalism;
that a code of ethics or professional practice has not been E a voluntary system of registration for experienced tour
adopted. However, ethics is covered in the tour guiding guides;
certi"cate course. E a local tour guiding association which is provided
The main form of HARTCO membership is the full "nancial and secretarial support by the local tourist
member category. Membership requirements are based association; and
on the guide having at least two years working experi- E few complaints from tourists.
ence and passing the examination of the "ve day Tour
Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course. The contents of the 3.2. Issues and problems
course cover subjects such as: tour guiding management;
destination knowledge of Hong Kong; customer service; The following section identi"es and examines a num-
contingency planning; and two practical sessions on ber of issues and problems based on the in-depth and
coach and walking tour commentaries. Details of the focus group interviews. The in-depth interviews solicited
syllabus of the Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course are a wide variety of opinions and comments about the issues
presented in Appendix A. The nature of the topics pertaining to the nature and professionalism of tour
covered are similar to those found in other courses guiding in Hong Kong. The focus group interview was
such as those adopted by the English Regional Tourist directed at speci"c questions on a number of the issues to
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563 555

con"rm, question and clarify information collected in are lodged against tour guides. If complaints are received
earlier parts of the study. Eight issues were identi"ed and they tend to relate to poor language skills, `cheatinga and
are presented as follows: too much shopping in the itinerary. The lack of com-
plaints raises the question*If there are no apparent
3.2.1. Professionalism problems, why worry? However, visitors may not bother
When asked*`What is Professionalism?a, the inter- to complain due to lack of time and information about
viewees provided a wide range of viewpoints. The top where to lodge complaints, or the fact it is to troublesome
four comments were that professionalism involves: to lodge a complaint, especially when tourists have lim-
ited time at a destination. The concern raised apparently
E the sense of making tourists happy;
stems from worry that if such problems remain un-
E helping tourists form a positive impression of Hong
checked, it has the potential to irreparably damage Hong
Kong;
Kong's tourism image.
E satisfying tourists with his/her services so as to encour-
age repeat travel/visits;
E obligation to provide quality service and meet guests' 3.2.3. Unhealthy industry practices
expectations; and The complaint about `cheatinga mentioned in the pre-
E providing necessary, updated and accurate informa- vious section refers to unethical practices of some guides
tion. who force tourists to shop by closing the shop doors and
preventing the tourists from leaving unless they have
The professionalism of a tour guide is re#ected in their purchased something, or leading them to shops which
attitude towards the job, whether they are more money- o!er overpriced, poor quality or fake goods. Discussion
oriented or customer service-oriented. While attitude to- focussed around the constraints often imposed upon tour
wards the job was seen as important, the focus group coordinators by their employers (i.e. tour operators) and
interviewees expressed that product knowledge and com- the so-called `cheatinga. This places the guides in an
munication skills were considered to be more important unenviable and awkward position because they are often
than attitude. There was consensus among the group that forced to take tourists shopping and strictly follow the
the three most frequently mentioned qualities and stan- itinerary set by the employer. A tour guide described
dards that a tour guide must possess are: their predicament as follows:

E good product knowledge; &&2some of the grudge feelings with the Taiwanese
E good communication skills including pro"ciency in tourists regarding the shopping and all those
languages; and things*we can't put it on the table. That's a reality of
E right attitude with respect to service, willingness to what we call `vicious competitiona between the Hong
help, respect, empathy, etc. Kong based tour operator and their counterparts in
Taiwan. One wants to do it for a hundred dollars, the
Other comments made in relation to this issue were others are selling the tour for "fty dollars. And this is
that tour guides should play the role of a `conciergea and not only happening with the Taiwanese tourists only,
should be quite knowledgeable about the cultural and it occurs with the Japanese, and also some of the
entertainment attractions of the city and o!er the highest Western markets as well. We hate it. As a tour guide,
level of service possible. This idea provides an interesting I can tell you, my share on commissions is very very
and di!erent perspective of a tour guide's duties, which is little. You see, because most of the share is actually
worthy of consideration. One interviewee speci"cally kept by the travel agent. To be honest, I don't care
complained about some tour guides' poor attitudes to- about shopping, and in that instance - I'm not a good
wards their job and that the level of professionalism has tour guide working for a company. I hate the shopping
been considered by many interviewees to be on the de- bits of it. Because HK is a shopping paradise everyone
cline. This may be attributed partly to the recent down- comes here, they have the freedom to shop where they
turn in the inbound travel business and the resulting lack please. But because the travel agent says you have to
of business may have discouraged tour guides from put- go to a certain place, this should not be related to
ting in their best e!orts and provided a poor excuse for concluding that the tour guide's performance is not
their low quality service delivery. right. Because one actually is following all the instruc-
tions (of the tour operator)''.
3.2.2. Complaints
In terms of the service quality and professionalism of Therefore, the quality and abilities of the tour guide
Hong Kong tour guides, it was generally acknowledged may be unfairly judged and need to be considered in
that the standard of service provided is high, particularly the context of employer constraints. Many tour guides
for the established English and Chinese speaking mar- do not have any intention to take tourists on sub-
kets. It was mentioned that very few formal complaints standard itineraries and shopping trips. One comment
556 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563

o!ered was that a good tour guide is assessed on how the level of training currently o!ered, which was
much commission he/she is able to derive for the tour considered by most, to be minimal. It was pointed out
operator not on the quality of service provided. that some tour operators like it this way and perpetuate
The unhealthy competitive tour operator practices this situation because it keeps operators' costs down.
were con"rmed in both the in-depth and focus group Thus, the trade-o! would be that not too much should be
interviews and have been publicly addressed by The expected from the tour guide as there is no expectation
Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. In their news- for the guides to be well trained and quali"ed. Views on
letter, the Council reported that practices such as zero- whether the employer is prepared to pay more for better
based tour fares, where the inbound operator accepts quali"ed tour guides were divided.
a tour group without a fee, were creating problems for Furthermore, tour guides in Hong Kong do not get to
the industry (Travel Industry Council, 1999). Such prob- keep all the tips received from tourists. Tips and shop-
lems arising were that the local operator was abandoning ping commissions may be divided into four parts, i.e., for
tour groups because tour members were not buying the tour guide, tour escort, land/local operator and over-
enough at the shops or accommodation reservations seas travel agent. Sometimes, tour guides may even pay
were not con"rmed prior to the tour groups' depar- to bid for tour groups from tour operators. This obvious-
ture. The problem is further exacerbated by the ly imposes the risk of taking the tour group for more
heavy reliance on commissions in making a living. shopping and it was suggested that a standardized re-
Results from a recent survey of HARTCO members ward system should be established.
con"rmed this observation where they found that the
main source of a guide's income came from commissions 3.2.6. Image and status of tour guides
(44%) while the basic salary accounted for 38% Some interviewees thought tour guides in Hong Kong
(HARTCO, 1998). do not have high status because the image of tour guides
The nature of the complaints raised need to be con- is quite negative and their basic salary is low. One inter-
sidered in context and it should be recognised that the viewee indicated tour guiding was generally perceived as
unhealthy industry practices mentioned above are, fortu- an unglamorous job, especially by parents. This is be-
nately, not widespread although they have considerable cause parents do not really understand the importance or
potential to damage the image of a destination. Further- role of tour guides and many had a misconception that
more, it must be recognised that unhealthy industry the job primarily entailed taking tourists shopping. Lack
practices are a particularly sensitive issue especially for of recognition of tour guides by both employers and
government and the various tourism authorities and/or government was another issue raised. Some employers
trade associations. Hence obtaining information, is at were not prepared to give the recognition tour guides
best di$cult, since no member in the industry would deserve and to compensate them accordingly. It was
want to air one's `dirty laundrya for all and sundry. suggested that the government should take the role to
enforce certi"cation and recognition of the tour guide so
3.2.4. Training that standards are maintained and they can receive an
The absence of any formal and basic training for new appropriate level of remuneration. As one focus group
entrants to the industry is a problem that leads to participant pointed out
variable standards of service provision, and a lack of
product knowledge. Most participants interviewed &&2the industry itself has got to make it worthwhile
recognised there is need to provide basic training for new for youngsters and people who want to join the indus-
entrants and to also improve the tour guide's language try to actually get into it. If it is a career which has
skills. prospects which has good standing, good remuner-
There was consensus that those working as tour guides ation, which is exciting, which is worthwhile spending
should all receive some form of basic training and possess a year of college for, which is worthwhile being trained
a certi"cate quali"cation. There is no real incentive for for, and ultimately therefore obtaining a certi"cate or
a newcomer to obtain formal training at an educational license is worthwhile,2. if it's simply just a piece of
institution o!ering formal programmes, when it is not paper to say here we have a formal regulation, rather
necessary to have a certi"cate to secure a job. One than issue an incentive to try to improve the industry,
suggestion provided was that training should involve an then I don't think it's going to work''.
`apprenticeshipa system whereby a newcomer obtains
experience through working with and observing an 3.2.7. Certixcation/licensing systems
experienced tour guide. There was considerable discussion and debate about
the need to certify, register or license tour guides. A
3.2.5. Remuneration consensus emerged that all tour guides should be certi"-
Some discussion ensued about the level of remuner- ed and have some basic entry quali"cation. Registration,
ation received by guides being commensurate with possibly through a self-regulated system, may be adopted
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563 557

as a necessary requirement before anyone can actually industry. On the other hand, the outbound counterparts
practise as a tour guide. Thus, one may be certi"ed are licensed and bound by the directives issued by the
but not necessarily registered in order to practice. Any Travel Industry Council. Given that one part of the
introduction of a certi"cation/ registration/ licensing sys- tour operation industry is regulated, it appears strange
tem must be phased in and gradually introduced. There that the other part is not. To make the system work,
was no clear resolution on how the system should be one needs the trade to accept it and comply with
implemented and who or which organisation should be its requirements. Thus, it seems that the current prob-
responsible. lems of variable levels of service quality among
Questions were raised about the value of self-regula- tour guides may have to do more with the employers
tion if there were no enforceable measures to make the (i.e. the tour operators) and government than the guides
industry comply. Other questions discussed were*Is themselves.
registration an appropriate solution to upgrading the
quality of service? What sort of registration are we look- 3.2.8. Role of the local tour guide association*HARTCO
ing for? How di!erent would it be to the existing arrange- The role of a tour guide association was also addressed
ments? In addition, if few complaints are received about and, for many, the role of HARTCO is not very clear
tour guides' performance and as their professionalism is nor focussed, especially with its reliance on the HKTA
considered high*What is the justi"cation for regulating for support. As a voluntary association, it was seen
the industry? having little power and did not appear to o!er
On the issue of registration and licensing, a number of any substantive bene"ts for its members. It was indi-
matters were raised in relation to*What is the purpose cated that for some tour operators, HARTCO is
for having a compulsory registration or a formal li- not signi"cant as it has no legal backing. It was generally
censing system? How should it be implemented? and Is it felt that HARTCO could do more for its members in
necessary? The reasons suggested for implementing a representing the tour guide's interests to government
licensing system were to: and/or adopting a code of ethics for its members. On
a positive note, one interviewee said that `HARTCO is
E follow the practices of most countries elsewhere in the only a good source of information.a The numerous
world which have such systems; concerns and issues indicate there is certainly room for
E protect the livelihood of local tour guides; improvement.
E improve the quality of service;
E ensure a minimum standard of professionalism; and
E enhance the image and recognition of tour guides. 4. Discussion and recommendations

It was generally acknowledged that the main purpose The issues and problems identi"ed have unearthed
for attempting to introduce a compulsory registration some unpleasant aspects of the current state and practi-
and/or licensing system was for the latter reasons rather ces of tour guiding. Tour guiding is a lot more complex
than to simply license for the sake of following practices than the usually accepted and straightforward roles of
elsewhere around the world. being `information givera, `environmental interpretera
Many respondents interviewed agreed to the need for or `culture brokera, as described in the literature (Cohen,
the licensing of tour guides. Some tour guides were very 1985; EFTGA, 1998; McKean, 1976). The work and role
much in favour of the licensing system because they can of the tour guide is complicated by issues of the economic
use it to have greater bargaining power with employers survival of the tourism industry which is characterised
(travel agents/tour operators) if they are licensed. How- by very keen competition, questionable industry prac-
ever, others worried about their low quali"cation, the tices, and higher standards of service expected by
examination fee and syllabuses. Employers (travel agents) tourists. Interestingly, the role of tour guides was not
may be afraid of the increased cost per tour once licensed the major issue, which suggests that the industry
tour guides are used and one interviewee indicated and guides themselves do not "nd strains and con#icts
that there should be a transition period for licensing of in the various roles they may perform. In terms of the
tour guides (e.g. "rst certi"cation, then licensing). Other- role played by the guides, the main concern stems
wise, licensing of tour guides will not gain support if it from unhealthy industry practices whereby tour itiner-
proceeds too fast. Training and other measures need aries are dictated by the "nancial objectives of the tour
to be introduced to ensure there will be an eligible operator and the guide's income being heavily reliant on
pool of trained guides when a formal licensing system is commissions.
implemented. While in the United Kingdom and even Mainland
In Hong Kong, the inbound tour industry is not regu- China, acceptance of commissions and/or tips are
lated and there is no body empowered to issue any frowned upon or forbidden as in the case of China, in
directives that would be binding upon this sector of the Hong Kong, commissions form the largest part
558 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563

of a guide's income (44%). While the practice of not guiding in Hong Kong, this does not appear to be the
accepting commission has merits and undoubtedly raises main concern as the guides are providing adequate levels
the professionalism of guiding in countries that adopt of service. Furthermore, few complaints are received from
such practices, the acceptance of commissions is a matter tourists. The concern, really relates to poor levels of
of conscience. Hong Kong adopts a laissez-faire system service having the potential impact of damaging Hong
and as it is lauded as having the world's freest economy, Kong's reputation and image as a leading Asian tourist
businesses have relatively few regulations to contend destination.
with. In the case of tour guiding, one needs to recognise It is noted most issues are beyond the immediate
that in Hong Kong, guides do not enjoy the bene"ts of control of the guides and their fate depends very
a minimum wage and that their activities and those of much upon their recognition, and the co-operation
inbound tour operators are not regulated. Hence, one or goodwill of other players such as the tour opera-
cannot necessarily frown upon the practice of accepting tors and government. Thus, leadership in addressing
commissions, as this is one of the consequences of having the issues raised really needs to come from the
a laissez-faire economy. Thus, advocating that govern- tour operators and government, if the problems
ment should take a more active role in regulating in- are to be resolved. The most immediate problem is
bound tour operators and tour guiding would be an how to address the practice of zero-based tour fares,
action of last resort on the part of the government. While which is having a detrimental e!ect upon Hong Kong's
the government has expressed a preference for self-regu- tourism industry. Obviously, industry leaders and
lation, e!ective mechanisms must be in place for self- the respective tourism authorities need to tackle
regulation to work. In the case of tour guiding, there have the problem. However, in the absence of any formal or
been unhealthy industry practices which impinge upon self-regulation of this sector of the industry, introduc-
the performance of tour guides. Should this have a detri- ing e!ective measures to stamp out such practices is
mental and adverse e!ect upon the sustainability of problematic.
Hong Kong's tourism industry, proactive measures need Although HARTCO can play an active role in further-
to be implemented to protect the industry as well as ing the interests of its members and the guiding profes-
Hong Kong's image. sion as a whole, it currently faces problems of its own in
The issue of professional status seems to be a perennial trying to establish a clear mission and demonstrating to
problem when Pond (1993) stated that: its constituents the bene"ts it can o!er. Nonetheless,
these problems do not provide an excuse for not taking
&&Tour guides have always had a place*albeit at times the initiative in taking immediate steps to address
on the lowest rung. History indicates that people many of the issues and problems raised with the relevant
2 dislike uninformed and overzealous guides. And parties.
yet the same travelers 2 acknowledged that compet- It is recognised that the situation experienced in Hong
ent guides were necessary and desirable 2 The work Kong may be similar to other countries around the world
of the tour guide is vastly misunderstood 2. Guides (for example, United Kingdom, Spain and Austria) and
have been aptly called the orphans of the travel indus- that such issues and problems have been addressed in
try, somewhat hidden as they are within the trade'' one way or another. Except for studies such as those
(p.12). reported by Holloway (1981) and Wong and Ap (2000),
which have examined the nature and role of tour guiding
This problem is compounded by the fact that their in the United Kingdom and other countries, respectively,
work is often of a seasonal, freelance and part-time there is lack of readily accessible documentation of a re-
nature thus resulting in their visibility, stature and search nature for the public and others in the industry.
income being low. While the role of the tour guide is This lack of documentation poses one of the major im-
recognised as being important in `making or breaking pediments in the sharing of information and the experi-
a toura their recognition within society, unfortunately, is ences of other countries. Whilst the information and
not as highly regarded. In Hong Kong, the situation is issues identi"ed in this paper may not be of a ground
no di!erent to elsewhere around the developed and breaking nature, it would represent one of the few that
Western world. Hence, consideration should be given to formally documents the issues and problems faced by
develop programmes that publicise the professional work the tour guiding profession through a widely accessible
and enhance the status of tour guiding, especially to medium.
remove any misunderstanding or the stigmas that To attain a higher standard of service professionalism
currently exist. and e!ectively monitor the practices of Hong Kong's
Most of the issues and problems identi"ed do not tour guides, recommendations were formulated. These
relate directly to the role and performance of the tour recommendations, based upon an analysis and synthesis
guides themselves. In fact, while there seems to be con- of the information collected in this study, represent the
cern about declining levels of professionalism of tour practical application of the study "ndings to enhance
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563 559

professional tour guiding practice. They are grouped For career advancement of tour guides, an advanced
under the respective issues that have been presented executive tour management course should also be de-
earlier. signed and implemented. This will provide an opportun-
ity for a guide to obtain further upgrading of his or her
4.1. Service quality/professionalism quali"cations and provide a career path enabling tour
guides to go from tour guiding to management level tasks
Recommendations concerning service quality and in tour co-ordination. This would also be necessary for
professionalism were: licensing at the advanced level in the event that a formal
licensing system is adopted.
E to ensure a minimum level of service professionalism,
a code of conduct/ethics for tour guides should be 4.5. Certixcation, registration or licensing
compiled, in consultation with industry, and adopted
by HARTCO; Certi"cation and registration may be undertaken by
E to raise the recognition, status and career opportuni- self-regulation without the necessity of legislation.
ties of tour guides, industry members should set up However, the outcome of this course of action
an Industry Task Force to examine the nature and should be reviewed to consider whether there is any
role of tour guides with the view to further develop- need for formal licensing through legislation. Therefore:
ing their professional skills to a higher management
level; and
E e!ective monitoring and evaluation of service perfor- E in order to maintain the long term stability and profes-
mance of tour guides should be adopted. sionalism of tour guides, formal licensing should be
implemented;
4.2. Image and status E to ensure the employment of appropriately quali"ed
tour guides and the provision of high service quality,
In improving the professional image and status of the HARTCO/ HKTA should implement measures to
tour guide within the community, it is necessary to pro- monitor tour guide performance (e.g. on-the-site in-
mote greater public awareness and appreciation for the spections and to introduce legally enforceable penal-
professional services of tour guides. Thus, it is recommen- ties for professional misconduct).
ded that HARTCO and the HKTA should seek the
co-operation of related industry bodies to develop a pub- 4.6. The role of the tour guide association (Hong Kong
licity campaign. Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators*HARTCO)

4.3. Industry practices An expanded role for HARTCO is needed and

HARTCO should meet with its members to discuss
The practice of under-cost pricing which has been and introduce new and enhanced bene"ts, which
an unhealthy competitive practice that undermines will encourage greater participation and higher member-
tourists' con"dence in Hong Kong's tourism industry, ship. Successful implementation of the recommen-
should be banned, and minimum levels for tour ded training programs and service quality monitoring
fares should be established. The Government author- system will require the co-operation and concerted
ities and industry members should meet to establish e!orts of the local tour guides association*HARTCO,
a minimum rate of remuneration for tour guides the relevant industry bodies, government authorities,
which will provide a reasonable and stable income and the tour guides themselves. High priority should
and reduce the heavy reliance placed on shopping be given to recommendations which will formalise
commissions. and establish the basic standard of service professiona-
lism for tour guiding. This would ensure uniformity
4.4. Training and consistency in service standards for industry
members who rely heavily on the services of tour guides
To ensure that Hong Kong's tour guides obtain a and assure international tourists of high levels of service
minimum standard of training, HARTCO/HKTA delivery.
should introduce compulsory basic training to be under- If the above-mentioned recommendations are imple-
taken by all new entrants who intend to practise as tour mented in the short to medium term, it will certainly
guides. In addition to the basic training course, the local lead to noticeable improvements in the training and
guides association, industry members and educational practice of tour guiding in Hong Kong. The real test,
institutions should meet to discuss the content and dura- however, is the commitment shown by the key players,
tion of refresher courses for updating, renewing product especially the tour guides and HARTCO, in taking a
knowledge, and the self-development of the tour guides. concerted and determined e!ort to improve their level
560 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563

of professionalism. Leadership from tour operators and mance of tour guiding, the following are some lessons
government is also required, as their actions in#uence learned:
and circumscribe, to a great extent, the role and activities
of the tour guide. 1. A limited or lack of training opportunities at the
introductory and/or refresher levels will impede at-
tempts to increase the professionalism and recognition
of tour guiding;
5. Conclusion 2. The use of an `apprenticeshipa system where a new-
comer learns through working with and observing an
In summarising the main "ndings of the study, tour experienced guide for a short period of time can help
guiding in Hong Kong is characterised by the absence of set a higher standard and level of service within the
a basic training course for new entrants and a lack of profession;
training opportunities generally which has led, in part, to 3. Professionalism may be increased through a re-
variable levels of professionalism, a lack of recognition evaluation or re-de"nition of the role and responsib-
and a poor image of the profession. There is a voluntary ilities of the tour guide through identifying a career
system of registration for experienced tour guides, how- path for the guiding profession and the adoption of
ever, among members of the local tour guide association new roles, such as a `conciergea and tour manager;
it does not appear to o!er enough tangible bene"ts. 4. The performance and quality of the tour guide should
A low level of remuneration that relies heavily on com- be judged in the context of the employer requirements,
missions is also another characteristic. Fortunately, there itinerary and other constraints which may be imposed
are very few formal complaints from tourists about tour upon the guide and are beyond the control of the
guides. guide;
The key issues and problems of tour guiding 5. Unhealthy tour operator practices such as use of un-
identi"ed in Hong Kong are: variable levels of pro- quali"ed tour guides, reliance on commission income,
fessionalism; potential problems resulting from un- price discounting and `buyinga of tour groups pose
healthy industry practices; need for a certi"cation, a threat to the sustainability of the profession and
registration or licensing system; absence of any monitor- industry. Wherever possible, such practices should not
ing of tour guide performance; and more active and be tolerated and preferably the practices should be
visible role to be taken by the local tour guide associ- regulated or banned;
ation. 6. For a system of formal licensing to work, the accept-
The successful implementation of a strategy for up- ance and support of the government and industry is
grading the service professionalism of Hong Kong's tour necessary. Any e!ective monitoring system must have
guides will need the support of the government, the legally enforceable penalties;
inbound tour operators and educational institutions. 7. The real purpose for introducing a compulsory li-
The recommended training programmes and a service censing system such as following the practice of other
quality monitoring system should be presented to the countries, protecting the livelihood of guides, or en-
relevant industry bodies and government authorities suring a minimum standard of professionalism needs
for their endorsement and support. The various recom- to be thoroughly addressed. Questions that need to be
mendations made are intended to provide the direction asked are*Is it an appropriate course of action?, and
for change towards upgrading the service professionalism Will it actually lead to an improvement in the quality
of Hong Kong's tour guides in the future. The improve- of service?;
ment in level of service quality will serve Hong Kong's 8. In order for the tour guiding profession to increase
tourism industry very well, especially when the economy its status and recognition, there is need for steady
recovers. income based on a standard minimum rate and/
Upon re#ecting on the Hong Kong experience, the or standardised reward system. As long as commis-
question is raised*What are the lessons, if any, to be sions remain as the primary source of income, the
learned for the guiding profession elsewhere? The experi- guiding profession will remain at the mercy of tour
ences faced by the Hong Kong tour guides are unlikely to operators and, at times, their questionable business
be unique and there may be some issues and problems practices;
raised that are common to the guiding profession else- 9. In order for a tour guide association to operate e!ec-
where around the world. It is also noted that there has tively, it should have a clearly de"ned mission and
not been any international-wide tour guiding studies role, o!er tangible bene"ts, have the authority to
reported in the English-based literature and there is need represent the interests of guides to government, indus-
for further research to determine and assess the current try and the community. A code of professional con-
status of the profession. Based on the Hong Kong experi- duct or ethics to set standards of behaviour should
ence, in any attempt to upgrade and improve the perfor- also be adopted; and
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563 561

10. Besides dealing with day-to-day operational matters, international-wide study to examine what is the
from time to time, the tour guide profession and tour current state of tour guiding around the world and
operators need to examine and assess the business to identify the common issues and problems faced.
environment in which they operate. They both need to In conclusion, this study has provided some interest-
think or plan strategically so that the respective par- ing and revealing insights into understanding the
ties may obtain mutual bene"t, and ensure the long- nature of, and issues faced, by the tour guiding
term sustainability of tourism in the community. profession. Some new paths have been explored
and some areas for future research have been identi-
Holloway (1981) noted almost 20 years ago that
"ed. This study is one of, hopefully, many more to
there was a paucity of studies on guides and tours,
come in the future as we develop a better understanding
and this observation still applies today. This study
of the nature of tour guiding, and seek its long-term
represents one of the few documented, comprehensive
improvement.
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 Acknowledgements
of Tourist Guide Associations and local associations
con"rm that studies of this type have not been under- The assistance of Peter Sandiford and Ken Yeung, and
taken. Part of this may be attributed to the fragmented the support of the Hong Kong SAR Government's
and freelance nature of the profession where many Service Support Fund are gratefully acknowledged.
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 Appendix A
type of study in other countries, conducting a survey of
tour guides and obtaining their opinions on issues a!ect- Syllabus of the Tour co-ordinator Certi"cate Course is
ing them and the industry. There is also need for an given in Table 1.

Table 1

Course aims Guest's arrival and departure formalities

To have a clear understanding of the responsibility of a professional Pre-arrival
tour co-ordinator Meeting on arrival
To sharpen the participant's skills in tour co-ordination On tour
To have a correct and comprehensive understanding of Departure
Hong Kong Delivery of tour commentary
Coach
Course contents Walking
Tour guiding management
Guidinu manauement
Destination knowledge of Hong Kong Pre-tour research
Customer service Familiarization of the geographic layout of the guiding route
Contingency planning Use of maps and travel-related guides
Two practical works on coach and walking tour commentaries Co-ordination with ground operators
(including video-taping for each participant)
Post-tour evaluation
Duration Professional ethics
Five days Importance in the industry
Service attitude and commitment
Course syllabus Responsibilities to travellers
Part I. Tour guiding management Relationships with colleagues
Professional handling of gratuities
Introduction to tour uuidinu
History Part II. Destination knowledge of Hong Kong
Pro"le of a tour guide General introduction
Roles and duties of a tour guide Tourism
Qualities of a good tour guide History
Working conditions Geography
Tour guiding in Hong Kong
Infrastructure studies
Guidinu techniques Political infrastructure
Use of microphone The Sino}British joint declaration
Manner of delivery The Basic Law
Leadership and communication skills Government structure
(continued on next page)
562 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563

Table 1 (continued )
Economic infrastructure Giving and accepting invitations
Industry and trade Social behaviour
Finance and monetary a!airs Do's and taboos of hosting visitors from the following regions
Labour and employment Asia and Paci"c
Primary production America
Social infrastructure Europe
Education Australia and New Zealand
Health Africa and Middle East
Social welfare Customer service skills
Housing Handling travellers with special needs
Public order Sales techniques on optional tours
Environment Problem-solving skills
Transport (airport/ port development) Complaints handling
Cultural infrastructure: religion and customs Crisis management
Recreation, sports and arts
Part IV. Case studies
Part III. Customer service
Guidinu
Customer psycholouy Pre-arrival
Identifying customers needs At arrival
Consumer decision making process During the tour
Rational and emotional factors Hotel check in
Obtaining and using customer feedback Departure
Knowledge of current customers and demographic changes Post tour
Ethics and moral considerations for tour guides Customer ser*ice
Service and customer satisfaction Ethical situations
Setting standards and achieving quality Legal responsibilities
Consumer rights Purchasing decisions
Customer feedback
Cultural dimensions of tra*el and tourism
Cultural aspects Cultural dimensions
Cross-cultural awareness Verbal communication
Concept and nature of culture Gestures and non-verbal cues
Cultural dimensions (Hofstede studies) Punctuality
Religions/philosophical traditions Gift-giving
Culture and communication Meet and greet
Verbal communication Religions
Non-verbal communication
Continuency planninu
Protocol, customs and etiquette
Crisis (e.g.transport, weather, death, illness, etc.)
The concept of time
Complaints
Gift giving and receiving
Accommodation and entertainment di$culties
Introduction and greetings
Natural disasters

Source: Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators.

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