Abstract:

Tourist guides (TGs), who are among the most important employees of the tourism sector, have a very important role in tourist satisfaction. While the effect of TRs on performance criteria and tourist satisfaction in foreign literature is the subject of many studies; a limited number of studies were found in the Turkish literature.Evaluation of the guidance service provided in places visited by millions of tourists every year, such as the Ancient City of Ephesus, is a necessity in order to meet the ever-changing market expectations. In line with this scope, the aim of the study is to reveal the effect of the performance of TRs on the satisfaction of tourists. Questionnaire technique, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The population of the research consists of domestic tourists visiting Ephesus between July and September 2021. As a sample, the easy sampling method, which is one of the non-probabilistic sampling methods, was preferred and a total of 399 data were collected. The obtained data were analyzed by the least squares method and and structural equation modeling. According to the results of the analysis, entertainment introduction skill, appearance, problem solving skills and organizational skills of TRs affect the satisfaction of domestic tourists in a meaningful and positive way. Empathy, professional competence and communication skills of TGs remained below the expectations of domestic tourists. Key Words: Tourist Guide, Tourist Satisfaction, Ephesus Ancient City JEL Classification: L83