Abstract :

The aim of the study is to identify the current problems of the tourist guidance profession and the perspectives of the tourist guides towards the current situation of the tourism sector. The data was collected through the interview technique from 28 tourist guides in November and December 2018. The data obtained is subject to content analysis. The tourist guides who accepted the meeting expressed the current problems of the tourism sector as: strong lack of image, lack of promotion, the sector’s seasonal characteristics, lack of foreign promotion, the existence of the system of everything included, the lack of tourism diversification. The professional problems of the guides; the avoidance of travel agencies paying the basic guidance fees, the escaped guidance activities, the lack of professional ethics, the unguided tour organization activities of universities and municipalities have been identified as the major problems. It has also been determined that guides see field guidance and escape guidance as a professional danger and have a negative perspective. The study ends with suggestions in the way that the lack of professional law in making the tourist guidance service more effective and efficient, the sector stakeholders should take more active role, the TUREB (Turkey Tourist Guides Association) and the professional rooms should reorganize their activities.

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