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-

Tour guides are the essential interface between the host
destination and its visitors. In fact, they are front-line
employees who are very much responsible for the overall
impression and satisfaction with the tour services o!ered
by a destination. Geva and Goldman (1991) for example,
found that the performance of the tour guide was an
important attribute to the success of the tour, while
Mossberg (1995) noted that the tour guide was regarded
an important element in selecting a charter tour.
While there are various de"nitions of a tour guide, an
internationally accepted de"nition given by the Interna-
tional Association of Tour Managers and the European
Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (EFTGA) is
that a tour guide is a person who*`Guide groups or
* Corresponding author. Tel.: #852-2766-6348; fax: #852-2362-
9362.
E-mail address: hmjohnap@polyu.edu.hk (J. Ap).
try 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 cul-
tural and natural heritage and environmenta (EFTGA,
1998).
Key areas of a tour guide's job description as de"ned
above include environmental interpretation in an
inspiring and entertaining manner, operation in a clearly
de"ned cultural/ geographical area and specialised
linguistic knowledge. Another de"nition provided by the
Professional Tour Guide Association of San Antonio
(1997) is that the guide is `a person with an e!ective
combination of enthusiasm, knowledge, personality
qualities and high standards of conduct and ethics
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
that it focusses upon the importance of the personality
and conduct of the guide as essential ingredients that
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
San Antonio suggests that the secret to success of being
a tour guide is*`loving the subject and the people we
present it toa. That is, having a passion for your subject
and taking an interest in each guest. In essence, the work
of a tour guide not only involves the transmission of
information, but also presenting it in an interesting and
sincere manner.
Tour guides have also been described by several
authors as `an information giver and fount of know-
ledgea, `mentora (Cohen, 1985), `a mediatora (de Kadt,
1979; Nettekoven, 1979), and `culture brokera (McKean,
1976). The mediator and cultural broker functions, as
suggested here, refers to the interpretive aspects of the
tour guide's work which plays a vital role in enhancing
the visitors' experience at a destination and their under-
standing of the destination and its culture.
Cross (1991), Mancini (1990) and Pond (1993) provide
useful practical hands-on information about tour guiding
practice, professionalism, and address issues such as the
role of guiding, guiding skills and techniques, and the
problems and issues that a guide may face when leading
a tour. Pond (1993), for example, indicated that the role
of the guide includes one who is:
E a leader capable of assuming responsibility;
E an educator to help the guest understand the places
they visit;
E an ambassador who extends hospitality and presents
the destination in a way that make visitors want to
return;
E a host who can create a comfortable environment for
the guest; and
E a facilitator who knows how and when to ful"ll the
previous four roles.
In Hong Kong, for example, it is estimated there are
currently 2500 tour guides (or tour co-ordinators as they
are known in Hong Kong) providing services to a diver-
sity of international visitors. However, some tour oper-
ators and industry association o$cials consider that the
existing level of professionalism of the Hong Kong tour
guides may not be up to international standards and
requires review. Pond (1993), for instance, indicated that:
`History has shown that training, evaluation and regula-
tion of guides yields great rewards not only for travelers
and guides but also for sites, cities and whole societies as
wella (p. 12). Thus, the importance of the training, evalu-
ation and regulation of guides, including their level of
professionalism, cannot be ignored. Unless the issue of
professionalism, and the problems and concerns about
tour guiding are addressed, this may lead to increasing
complaints from visitors about the quality of guide servi-
ces and result in damaging the image of a tourist destina-
tion. Moreover, all tourist destinations strive to provide
quality touring experiences for its visitors and one cannot
a!ord to be lax about the level of service o!ered by the
various providers.
The main purpose of this paper is to examine and
assess the current state of tour guiding in Hong Kong.
More speci"cally, objectives of the paper are:
E to examine the current state of tour guiding practice in
Hong Kong;
E to identify the issues and problems faced by the tour
guiding profession;
E to recommend strategies to raise the standard, recogni-
tion, and quality of services provided by tour guides;
and
E to examine the implications of the Hong Kong experi-
ence for the guiding profession elsewhere around the
world.
2. Methodology
This study adopted a qualitative and descriptive case
study approach (Yin, 1989). It was considered the most
appropriate method to adopt given its exploratory na-
ture and the limited availability of information on this
topic. A case study based on the Hong Kong experience
is presented to highlight the relevant issues as funds from
an external source were made available for such a study
to be conducted.
The study setting is Hong Kong, one of Asia's leading
tourist destinations, and at its height in 1996, there were
11.7 million international tourist arrivals that brought in
HK$84.5 billion (US$10.83 bn) in tourism receipts (Hong
Kong Tourist Association, 1998). Not surprisingly,
tourism is one of Hong Kong's top foreign exchange
earning industries. Due to a number of factors such as the
Asian "nancial currency turmoil in mid-1997, a down-
turn in tourist arrivals occurred throughout Asia. Tourist
arrivals dropped 20% and 8% in 1997 and 1998, respec-
tively (Hong Kong Tourist Association, 1999). The road
towards recovery to achieve a strong and sustained fu-
ture growth in Hong Kong's tourism industry requires
a careful re-evaluation and in-depth understanding of the
fundamental strengths and weaknesses of the industry.
The tourism industry is a distinctively service based one,
which relies heavily on high quality service delivery. As
there were concerns about variable levels of professional-
ism among tour guides, potential problems exist (e.g. lack
of training opportunities and unhealthy industry practi-
ces) which led to this study being initiated by the local
tour guide association (Hong Kong Association of Regis-
tered Tour Co-ordinators*HARTCO) with the support
of government funding.
Data collection for this study was obtained from
various sources, namely: secondary data, two sets
of in-depth interviews with 13 individuals and focus
group interviews. HARTCO and the Hong Kong Tourist
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563
Association guided selection and the composition of
those interviewed. Interviewees, for example, represented
all the key players involved in tour guiding such as tour
operators, hoteliers, legislators, government o$cials,
educators, as well as practicing tour guides. Collection of
data was carried out in three stages over a 5-month
period commencing February, 1998. Firstly, a broad
overview was conducted, based on desk research as well
as information supplied by HARTCO. In-depth inter-
views were initially held with four key industry members,
all of whom were directly involved with either the
work or training of tour guides. Each interview which
lasted approximately 1}1.5 hours, was tape recorded and
fully transcribed. This initial stage of the study was
designed:
E to examine the current state, practices and training of
tour guides in Hong Kong;
E to identify any key issues and problems of the industry;
E to obtain a general impression on the licensing of tour
guides; and
E to obtain opinions about HARTCO as a local tour
guide association.
A set of open-ended questions was used to guide the
in-depth interviews in both the "rst and second stages of
the study. They were:
1. What is professionalism (in relation to tour guides)?
2. What opinions do you have about the training of tour
guides in Hong Kong?
3. What issues does the tour guiding profession in Hong
Kong currently face?
4. What do you think is the role of a tour guide
association?
In the second stage of the study, the current state of the
role, system and practices of tour guiding in Hong Kong
were examined further. In-depth interviews were conduc-
ted with another set of key players involved with tour
guiding. These interviews were conducted with nine indi-
viduals who were directly or indirectly involved with tour
guiding. The purpose of these in-depth interviews was to
solicit detailed information, opinions, and insights on
practices and issues relating to tour guiding in Hong
Kong such as professionalism, training and certi"cation,
etc.
The "ndings and results obtained in the previous
stages were used to formulate the agenda and questions
for the third and "nal stage in which a focus group
interview meeting was held in June 1998. Key players
from the tourism industry attended this meeting to pres-
ent their views and opinions on various issues and prob-
lems primarily identi"ed in the previous stages of the
study. The main purpose of the focus group meeting
was to allow for interaction and exchange of views and
553
opinions among all the key members to achieve a com-
mon understanding, provide greater insights into the
issues, problems and recommend solutions. The focus
group comprised eleven (11) members of industry, includ-
ing a tour guide, who were invited to discuss aspects of
tour co-ordinating standards, practices and requirements
in Hong Kong. Discussion was speci"cally directed to
the need for certi"cation, registration or licensing of tour
guides. The participants represented di!erent key indus-
try players all of whom had either direct or relevant links
to tour guiding in Hong Kong. The interviews were tape
recorded and also fully transcribed. The questions asked
were:
Service standards
1. What do you think are the essential services that
should be provided by Hong Kong tour guides?
2. What professional standards should Hong Kong tour
guides have?
3. What do you think of the service quality of tour guides
at present?
Training/certixcation/recognition
4. Is the current training available for training tour
guides su$cient?
5. Has su$cient attention and recognition been given to
tour guide quali"cations?
6. Should certi"cation be compulsory?
Registration/licensing
7. Should there be registration of tour guides? If so, who
should be responsible for it?
8. Should a formal, legislatively backed licensing system
be introduced?
Due to a lack of time, the registration/licensing ques-
tions were not addressed in the focus group interview,
but a follow up interview meeting was held with a senior
government o$cial and the HARTCO chairman. In
analysing the data collected, content analysis was used.
Following transcription of the interviews, the investiga-
tors systematically and carefully reviewed the data before
identifying the common elements, patterns and trends. In
addition, coding was undertaken in accordance to cri-
teria speci"ed by Strauss and Corbin (1998), such as
neutral, frequently appearing in the data, ease of refer-
ence to other categories. Member checking, where the
transcripts for interviews were transcribed and forwarded
to each interviewee to check and verify that the notes
represent an accurate record of the interview, was con-
ducted to verify the trustworthiness of the interview data
(Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
Furthermore, through adoption of a three-stage
investigation, triangulation was thus used to help verify
the "ndings in the subsequent stages. As a qualitative
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
with caution. However, the insights obtained do provide
valuable information about the current state of profes-
sional tour guiding practice.
3. Findings
Initially, the results of the fact "nding investigation
on the current state of Hong Kong tour guiding
are presented, followed by the issues and problems
identi"ed and discussed in the in-depth or focus group
interviews.
3.1. Current state of tour guiding
It is estimated there are currently about 2500 tour
guides in Hong Kong, but only 500 of them have joined
the local tour guide association*HARTCO, on a vol-
untary basis. There is no formal certi"cation or licensing
system for tour guides in Hong Kong, although guides
who have at least 2 years experience may be registered
through the Hong Kong Tourist Association upon suc-
cessful completion of a tour co-ordinator certi"cate
course.
HARTCO, was established in 1984 by the Hong Kong
Tourist Association (HKTA) which also provides "nan-
cial and secretarial support. It was set up because tour
guides are front-line sta! representing Hong Kong and it
was considered important to maintain the quality of
these tour guides by setting up an organization to look
after their interests. Services provided by HARTCO in-
clude: half to one day workshops/seminars such as "rst
aid and safety on coaches; updated product knowledge
and relevant information about Hong Kong through its
newsletter, presentations given by the HKTA, Govern-
ment departments and professional bodies, and on-site
activities/ visits. While HARTCO has the right to revoke
membership if a guide does not ful"ll his/her obligations
there is no monitoring system in place. It was also noted
that a code of ethics or professional practice has not been
adopted. However, ethics is covered in the tour guiding
certi"cate course.
The main form of HARTCO membership is the full
member category. Membership requirements are based
on the guide having at least two years working experi-
ence and passing the examination of the "ve day Tour
Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course. The contents of the
course cover subjects such as: tour guiding management;
destination knowledge of Hong Kong; customer service;
contingency planning; and two practical sessions on
coach and walking tour commentaries. Details of the
syllabus of the Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course are
presented in Appendix A. The nature of the topics
covered are similar to those found in other courses
such as those adopted by the English Regional Tourist
Boards (Cross, 1991) and the Professional Tour Guide
Association of San Antonio (1997). The course involves
written and practical examinations and course partici-
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.
Besides the Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course, two
educational institutions provide sub-degree level train-
ing, namely for those who pursue the one year full-time
Tour Co-ordination Certi"cate programme, or the three
year Higher Diploma in Travel and Tourism course.
Unless one formally enrolls in the programmes o!ered by
the educational institutions, there is currently no basic
course available to those who wish to enter the profes-
sion. Since the "ve Tour Co-ordinator Certi"cate Course
only accepts those with a minimum of two years work
experience, there is a vacuum in the provision of basic
training for tour guides in Hong Kong. Concerns about
the variable level of professionalism initially stem from
the fact that there is ease of entry into the profession
without the need for any formal training, low level entry
requirements for entry into existing formal programmes,
and absence of entry level training.
Fortunately, to date, there have not been too many
complaints received about tour guides according to in-
dustry sources. It might be noted that the Consumer
Council and Hong Kong Tourist Association, as a matter
of standard practice and due to the sensitivity of this
information, do not release information on the nature
and number of complaints. However, according to the
interviewees and focus group members, the most com-
mon complaints about tour guides include inadequate
commentary, undue emphasis given to shopping, poor
standard of English, and unprofessional behaviour. In
summary, the state of tour guiding in Hong Kong may be
characterised by:
E an absence of a basic training course for new entrants;
E limited training opportunities;
E variable levels of professionalism;
E a voluntary system of registration for experienced tour
guides;
E a local tour guiding association which is provided
"nancial and secretarial support by the local tourist
association; and
E few complaints from tourists.
3.2. Issues and problems
The following section identi"es and examines a num-
ber of issues and problems based on the in-depth and
focus group interviews. The in-depth interviews solicited
a wide variety of opinions and comments about the issues
pertaining to the nature and professionalism of tour
guiding in Hong Kong. The focus group interview was
directed at speci"c questions on a number of the issues to
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563
con"rm, question and clarify information collected in
earlier parts of the study. Eight issues were identi"ed and
are presented as follows:
3.2.1. Professionalism
When asked*`What is Professionalism?a, the inter-
viewees provided a wide range of viewpoints. The top
four comments were that professionalism involves:
E the sense of making tourists happy;
E helping tourists form a positive impression of Hong
Kong;
E satisfying tourists with his/her services so as to encour-
age repeat travel/visits;
E obligation to provide quality service and meet guests'
expectations; and
E providing necessary, updated and accurate informa-
tion.
The professionalism of a tour guide is re#ected in their
attitude towards the job, whether they are more money-
oriented or customer service-oriented. While attitude to-
wards the job was seen as important, the focus group
interviewees expressed that product knowledge and com-
munication skills were considered to be more important
than attitude. There was consensus among the group that
the three most frequently mentioned qualities and stan-
dards that a tour guide must possess are:
E good product knowledge;
E good communication skills including pro"ciency in
languages; and
E right attitude with respect to service, willingness to
help, respect, empathy, etc.
Other comments made in relation to this issue were
that tour guides should play the role of a `conciergea and
should be quite knowledgeable about the cultural and
entertainment attractions of the city and o!er the highest
level of service possible. This idea provides an interesting
and di!erent perspective of a tour guide's duties, which is
worthy of consideration. One interviewee speci"cally
complained about some tour guides' poor attitudes to-
wards their job and that the level of professionalism has
been considered by many interviewees to be on the de-
cline. This may be attributed partly to the recent down-
turn in the inbound travel business and the resulting lack
of business may have discouraged tour guides from put-
ting in their best e!orts and provided a poor excuse for
their low quality service delivery.
3.2.2. Complaints
In terms of the service quality and professionalism of
Hong Kong tour guides, it was generally acknowledged
that the standard of service provided is high, particularly
for the established English and Chinese speaking mar-
kets. It was mentioned that very few formal complaints
555
are lodged against tour guides. If complaints are received
they tend to relate to poor language skills, `cheatinga and
too much shopping in the itinerary. The lack of com-
plaints raises the question*If there are no apparent
problems, why worry? However, visitors may not bother
to complain due to lack of time and information about
where to lodge complaints, or the fact it is to troublesome
to lodge a complaint, especially when tourists have lim-
ited time at a destination. The concern raised apparently
stems from worry that if such problems remain un-
checked, it has the potential to irreparably damage Hong
Kong's tourism image.
3.2.3. Unhealthy industry practices
The complaint about `cheatinga mentioned in the pre-
vious section refers to unethical practices of some guides
who force tourists to shop by closing the shop doors and
preventing the tourists from leaving unless they have
purchased something, or leading them to shops which
o!er overpriced, poor quality or fake goods. Discussion
focussed around the constraints often imposed upon tour
coordinators by their employers (i.e. tour operators) and
the so-called `cheatinga. This places the guides in an
unenviable and awkward position because they are often
forced to take tourists shopping and strictly follow the
itinerary set by the employer. A tour guide described
their predicament as follows:
&&2some of the grudge feelings with the Taiwanese
tourists regarding the shopping and all those
things*we can't put it on the table. That's a reality of
what we call `vicious competitiona between the Hong
Kong based tour operator and their counterparts in
Taiwan. One wants to do it for a hundred dollars, the
others are selling the tour for "fty dollars. And this is
not only happening with the Taiwanese tourists only,
it occurs with the Japanese, and also some of the
Western markets as well. We hate it. As a tour guide,
I can tell you, my share on commissions is very very
little. You see, because most of the share is actually
kept by the travel agent. To be honest, I don't care
about shopping, and in that instance - I'm not a good
tour guide working for a company. I hate the shopping
bits of it. Because HK is a shopping paradise everyone
comes here, they have the freedom to shop where they
please. But because the travel agent says you have to
go to a certain place, this should not be related to
concluding that the tour guide's performance is not
right. Because one actually is following all the instruc-
tions (of the tour operator)''.
Therefore, the quality and abilities of the tour guide
may be unfairly judged and need to be considered in
the context of employer constraints. Many tour guides
do not have any intention to take tourists on sub-
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
much commission he/she is able to derive for the tour
operator not on the quality of service provided.
The unhealthy competitive tour operator practices
were con"rmed in both the in-depth and focus group
interviews and have been publicly addressed by The
Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. In their news-
letter, the Council reported that practices such as zero-
based tour fares, where the inbound operator accepts
a tour group without a fee, were creating problems for
the industry (Travel Industry Council, 1999). Such prob-
lems arising were that the local operator was abandoning
tour groups because tour members were not buying
enough at the shops or accommodation reservations
were not con"rmed prior to the tour groups' depar-
ture. The problem is further exacerbated by the
heavy reliance on commissions in making a living.
Results from a recent survey of HARTCO members
con"rmed this observation where they found that the
main source of a guide's income came from commissions
(44%) while the basic salary accounted for 38%
(HARTCO, 1998).
The nature of the complaints raised need to be con-
sidered in context and it should be recognised that the
unhealthy industry practices mentioned above are, fortu-
nately, not widespread although they have considerable
potential to damage the image of a destination. Further-
more, it must be recognised that unhealthy industry
practices are a particularly sensitive issue especially for
government and the various tourism authorities and/or
trade associations. Hence obtaining information, is at
best di$cult, since no member in the industry would
want to air one's `dirty laundrya for all and sundry.
3.2.4. Training
The absence of any formal and basic training for new
entrants to the industry is a problem that leads to
variable standards of service provision, and a lack of
product knowledge. Most participants interviewed
recognised there is need to provide basic training for new
entrants and to also improve the tour guide's language
skills.
There was consensus that those working as tour guides
should all receive some form of basic training and possess
a certi"cate quali"cation. There is no real incentive for
a newcomer to obtain formal training at an educational
institution o!ering formal programmes, when it is not
necessary to have a certi"cate to secure a job. One
suggestion provided was that training should involve an
`apprenticeshipa system whereby a newcomer obtains
experience through working with and observing an
experienced tour guide.
3.2.5. Remuneration
Some discussion ensued about the level of remuner-
ation received by guides being commensurate with
the level of training currently o!ered, which was
considered by most, to be minimal. It was pointed out
that some tour operators like it this way and perpetuate
this situation because it keeps operators' costs down.
Thus, the trade-o! would be that not too much should be
expected from the tour guide as there is no expectation
for the guides to be well trained and quali"ed. Views on
whether the employer is prepared to pay more for better
quali"ed tour guides were divided.
Furthermore, tour guides in Hong Kong do not get to
keep all the tips received from tourists. Tips and shop-
ping commissions may be divided into four parts, i.e., for
the tour guide, tour escort, land/local operator and over-
seas travel agent. Sometimes, tour guides may even pay
to bid for tour groups from tour operators. This obvious-
ly imposes the risk of taking the tour group for more
shopping and it was suggested that a standardized re-
ward system should be established.
3.2.6. Image and status of tour guides
Some interviewees thought tour guides in Hong Kong
do not have high status because the image of tour guides
is quite negative and their basic salary is low. One inter-
viewee indicated tour guiding was generally perceived as
an unglamorous job, especially by parents. This is be-
cause parents do not really understand the importance or
role of tour guides and many had a misconception that
the job primarily entailed taking tourists shopping. Lack
of recognition of tour guides by both employers and
government was another issue raised. Some employers
were not prepared to give the recognition tour guides
deserve and to compensate them accordingly. It was
suggested that the government should take the role to
enforce certi"cation and recognition of the tour guide so
that standards are maintained and they can receive an
appropriate level of remuneration. As one focus group
participant pointed out
&&2the industry itself has got to make it worthwhile
for youngsters and people who want to join the indus-
try to actually get into it. If it is a career which has
prospects which has good standing, good remuner-
ation, which is exciting, which is worthwhile spending
a year of college for, which is worthwhile being trained
for, and ultimately therefore obtaining a certi"cate or
license is worthwhile,2. if it's simply just a piece of
paper to say here we have a formal regulation, rather
than issue an incentive to try to improve the industry,
then I don't think it's going to work''.
3.2.7. Certixcation/licensing systems
There was considerable discussion and debate about
the need to certify, register or license tour guides. A
consensus emerged that all tour guides should be certi"-
ed and have some basic entry quali"cation. Registration,
possibly through a self-regulated system, may be adopted
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563
as a necessary requirement before anyone can actually
practise as a tour guide. Thus, one may be certi"ed
but not necessarily registered in order to practice. Any
introduction of a certi"cation/ registration/ licensing sys-
tem must be phased in and gradually introduced. There
was no clear resolution on how the system should be
implemented and who or which organisation should be
responsible.
Questions were raised about the value of self-regula-
tion if there were no enforceable measures to make the
industry comply. Other questions discussed were*Is
registration an appropriate solution to upgrading the
quality of service? What sort of registration are we look-
ing for? How di!erent would it be to the existing arrange-
ments? In addition, if few complaints are received about
tour guides' performance and as their professionalism is
considered high*What is the justi"cation for regulating
the industry?
On the issue of registration and licensing, a number of
matters were raised in relation to*What is the purpose
for having a compulsory registration or a formal li-
censing system? How should it be implemented? and Is it
necessary? The reasons suggested for implementing a
licensing system were to:
E follow the practices of most countries elsewhere in the
world which have such systems;
E protect the livelihood of local tour guides;
E improve the quality of service;
E ensure a minimum standard of professionalism; and
E enhance the image and recognition of tour guides.
It was generally acknowledged that the main purpose
for attempting to introduce a compulsory registration
and/or licensing system was for the latter reasons rather
than to simply license for the sake of following practices
elsewhere around the world.
Many respondents interviewed agreed to the need for
the licensing of tour guides. Some tour guides were very
much in favour of the licensing system because they can
use it to have greater bargaining power with employers
(travel agents/tour operators) if they are licensed. How-
ever, others worried about their low quali"cation, the
examination fee and syllabuses. Employers (travel agents)
may be afraid of the increased cost per tour once licensed
tour guides are used and one interviewee indicated
that there should be a transition period for licensing of
tour guides (e.g. "rst certi"cation, then licensing). Other-
wise, licensing of tour guides will not gain support if it
proceeds too fast. Training and other measures need
to be introduced to ensure there will be an eligible
pool of trained guides when a formal licensing system is
implemented.
In Hong Kong, the inbound tour industry is not regu-
lated and there is no body empowered to issue any
directives that would be binding upon this sector of the
557
industry. On the other hand, the outbound counterparts
are licensed and bound by the directives issued by the
Travel Industry Council. Given that one part of the
tour operation industry is regulated, it appears strange
that the other part is not. To make the system work,
one needs the trade to accept it and comply with
its requirements. Thus, it seems that the current prob-
lems of variable levels of service quality among
tour guides may have to do more with the employers
(i.e. the tour operators) and government than the guides
themselves.
3.2.8. Role of the local tour guide association*HARTCO
The role of a tour guide association was also addressed
and, for many, the role of HARTCO is not very clear
nor focussed, especially with its reliance on the HKTA
for support. As a voluntary association, it was seen
having little power and did not appear to o!er
any substantive bene"ts for its members. It was indi-
cated that for some tour operators, HARTCO is
not signi"cant as it has no legal backing. It was generally
felt that HARTCO could do more for its members in
representing the tour guide's interests to government
and/or adopting a code of ethics for its members. On
a positive note, one interviewee said that `HARTCO is
only a good source of information.a The numerous
concerns and issues indicate there is certainly room for
improvement.
4. Discussion and recommendations
The issues and problems identi"ed have unearthed
some unpleasant aspects of the current state and practi-
ces of tour guiding. Tour guiding is a lot more complex
than the usually accepted and straightforward roles of
being `information givera, `environmental interpretera
or `culture brokera, as described in the literature (Cohen,
1985; EFTGA, 1998; McKean, 1976). The work and role
of the tour guide is complicated by issues of the economic
survival of the tourism industry which is characterised
by very keen competition, questionable industry prac-
tices, and higher standards of service expected by
tourists. Interestingly, the role of tour guides was not
the major issue, which suggests that the industry
and guides themselves do not "nd strains and con#icts
in the various roles they may perform. In terms of the
role played by the guides, the main concern stems
from unhealthy industry practices whereby tour itiner-
aries are dictated by the "nancial objectives of the tour
operator and the guide's income being heavily reliant on
commissions.
While in the United Kingdom and even Mainland
China, acceptance of commissions and/or tips are
frowned upon or forbidden as in the case of China, in
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
accepting commission has merits and undoubtedly raises
the professionalism of guiding in countries that adopt
such practices, the acceptance of commissions is a matter
of conscience. Hong Kong adopts a laissez-faire system
and as it is lauded as having the world's freest economy,
businesses have relatively few regulations to contend
with. In the case of tour guiding, one needs to recognise
that in Hong Kong, guides do not enjoy the bene"ts of
a minimum wage and that their activities and those of
inbound tour operators are not regulated. Hence, one
cannot necessarily frown upon the practice of accepting
commissions, as this is one of the consequences of having
a laissez-faire economy. Thus, advocating that govern-
ment should take a more active role in regulating in-
bound tour operators and tour guiding would be an
action of last resort on the part of the government. While
the government has expressed a preference for self-regu-
lation, e!ective mechanisms must be in place for self-
regulation to work. In the case of tour guiding, there have
been unhealthy industry practices which impinge upon
the performance of tour guides. Should this have a detri-
mental and adverse e!ect upon the sustainability of
Hong Kong's tourism industry, proactive measures need
to be implemented to protect the industry as well as
Hong Kong's image.
The issue of professional status seems to be a perennial
problem when Pond (1993) stated that:
&&Tour guides have always had a place*albeit at times
on the lowest rung. History indicates that people
2 dislike uninformed and overzealous guides. And
yet the same travelers 2 acknowledged that compet-
ent guides were necessary and desirable 2 The work
of the tour guide is vastly misunderstood 2. Guides
have been aptly called the orphans of the travel indus-
try, somewhat hidden as they are within the trade''
(p.12).
This problem is compounded by the fact that their
work is often of a seasonal, freelance and part-time
nature thus resulting in their visibility, stature and
income being low. While the role of the tour guide is
recognised as being important in `making or breaking
a toura their recognition within society, unfortunately, is
not as highly regarded. In Hong Kong, the situation is
no di!erent to elsewhere around the developed and
Western world. Hence, consideration should be given to
develop programmes that publicise the professional work
and enhance the status of tour guiding, especially to
remove any misunderstanding or the stigmas that
currently exist.
Most of the issues and problems identi"ed do not
relate directly to the role and performance of the tour
guides themselves. In fact, while there seems to be con-
cern about declining levels of professionalism of tour
guiding in Hong Kong, this does not appear to be the
main concern as the guides are providing adequate levels
of service. Furthermore, few complaints are received from
tourists. The concern, really relates to poor levels of
service having the potential impact of damaging Hong
Kong's reputation and image as a leading Asian tourist
destination.
It is noted most issues are beyond the immediate
control of the guides and their fate depends very
much upon their recognition, and the co-operation
or goodwill of other players such as the tour opera-
tors and government. Thus, leadership in addressing
the issues raised really needs to come from the
tour operators and government, if the problems
are to be resolved. The most immediate problem is
how to address the practice of zero-based tour fares,
which is having a detrimental e!ect upon Hong Kong's
tourism industry. Obviously, industry leaders and
the respective tourism authorities need to tackle
the problem. However, in the absence of any formal or
self-regulation of this sector of the industry, introduc-
ing e!ective measures to stamp out such practices is
problematic.
Although HARTCO can play an active role in further-
ing the interests of its members and the guiding profes-
sion as a whole, it currently faces problems of its own in
trying to establish a clear mission and demonstrating to
its constituents the bene"ts it can o!er. Nonetheless,
these problems do not provide an excuse for not taking
the initiative in taking immediate steps to address
many of the issues and problems raised with the relevant
parties.
It is recognised that the situation experienced in Hong
Kong may be similar to other countries around the world
(for example, United Kingdom, Spain and Austria) and
that such issues and problems have been addressed in
one way or another. Except for studies such as those
reported by Holloway (1981) and Wong and Ap (2000),
which have examined the nature and role of tour guiding
in the United Kingdom and other countries, respectively,
there is lack of readily accessible documentation of a re-
search nature for the public and others in the industry.
This lack of documentation poses one of the major im-
pediments in the sharing of information and the experi-
ences of other countries. Whilst the information and
issues identi"ed in this paper may not be of a ground
breaking nature, it would represent one of the few that
formally documents the issues and problems faced by
the tour guiding profession through a widely accessible
medium.
To attain a higher standard of service professionalism
and e!ectively monitor the practices of Hong Kong's
tour guides, recommendations were formulated. These
recommendations, based upon an analysis and synthesis
of the information collected in this study, represent the
practical application of the study "ndings to enhance
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563
professional tour guiding practice. They are grouped
under the respective issues that have been presented
earlier.
4.1. Service quality/professionalism
Recommendations concerning service quality and
professionalism were:
E to ensure a minimum level of service professionalism,
a code of conduct/ethics for tour guides should be
compiled, in consultation with industry, and adopted
by HARTCO;
E to raise the recognition, status and career opportuni-
ties of tour guides, industry members should set up
an Industry Task Force to examine the nature and
role of tour guides with the view to further develop-
ing their professional skills to a higher management
level; and
E e!ective monitoring and evaluation of service perfor-
mance of tour guides should be adopted.
4.2. Image and status
In improving the professional image and status of the
tour guide within the community, it is necessary to pro-
mote greater public awareness and appreciation for the
professional services of tour guides. Thus, it is recommen-
ded that HARTCO and the HKTA should seek the
co-operation of related industry bodies to develop a pub-
licity campaign.
4.3. Industry practices
The practice of under-cost pricing which has been
an unhealthy competitive practice that undermines
tourists' con"dence in Hong Kong's tourism industry,
should be banned, and minimum levels for tour
fares should be established. The Government author-
ities and industry members should meet to establish
a minimum rate of remuneration for tour guides
which will provide a reasonable and stable income
and reduce the heavy reliance placed on shopping
commissions.
4.4. Training
To ensure that Hong Kong's tour guides obtain a
minimum standard of training, HARTCO/HKTA
should introduce compulsory basic training to be under-
taken by all new entrants who intend to practise as tour
guides. In addition to the basic training course, the local
guides association, industry members and educational
institutions should meet to discuss the content and dura-
tion of refresher courses for updating, renewing product
knowledge, and the self-development of the tour guides.
559
For career advancement of tour guides, an advanced
executive tour management course should also be de-
signed and implemented. This will provide an opportun-
ity for a guide to obtain further upgrading of his or her
quali"cations and provide a career path enabling tour
guides to go from tour guiding to management level tasks
in tour co-ordination. This would also be necessary for
licensing at the advanced level in the event that a formal
licensing system is adopted.
4.5. Certixcation, registration or licensing
Certi"cation and registration may be undertaken by
self-regulation without the necessity of legislation.
However, the outcome of this course of action
should be reviewed to consider whether there is any
need for formal licensing through legislation. Therefore:
E in order to maintain the long term stability and profes-
sionalism of tour guides, formal licensing should be
implemented;
E to ensure the employment of appropriately quali"ed
tour guides and the provision of high service quality,
HARTCO/ HKTA should implement measures to
monitor tour guide performance (e.g. on-the-site in-
spections and to introduce legally enforceable penal-
ties for professional misconduct).
4.6. The role of the tour guide association (Hong Kong
Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators*HARTCO)
An expanded role for HARTCO is needed and
HARTCO should meet with its members to discuss
and introduce new and enhanced bene"ts, which
will encourage greater participation and higher member-
ship. Successful implementation of the recommen-
ded training programs and service quality monitoring
system will require the co-operation and concerted
e!orts of the local tour guides association*HARTCO,
the relevant industry bodies, government authorities,
and the tour guides themselves. High priority should
be given to recommendations which will formalise
and establish the basic standard of service professiona-
lism for tour guiding. This would ensure uniformity
and consistency in service standards for industry
members who rely heavily on the services of tour guides
and assure international tourists of high levels of service
delivery.
If the above-mentioned recommendations are imple-
mented in the short to medium term, it will certainly
lead to noticeable improvements in the training and
practice of tour guiding in Hong Kong. The real test,
however, is the commitment shown by the key players,
especially the tour guides and HARTCO, in taking a
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
government is also required, as their actions in#uence
and circumscribe, to a great extent, the role and activities
of the tour guide.
5. Conclusion
In summarising the main "ndings of the study, tour
guiding in Hong Kong is characterised by the absence of
a basic training course for new entrants and a lack of
training opportunities generally which has led, in part, to
variable levels of professionalism, a lack of recognition
and a poor image of the profession. There is a voluntary
system of registration for experienced tour guides, how-
ever, among members of the local tour guide association
it does not appear to o!er enough tangible bene"ts.
A low level of remuneration that relies heavily on com-
missions is also another characteristic. Fortunately, there
are very few formal complaints from tourists about tour
guides.
The key issues and problems of tour guiding
identi"ed in Hong Kong are: variable levels of pro-
fessionalism; potential problems resulting from un-
healthy industry practices; need for a certi"cation,
registration or licensing system; absence of any monitor-
ing of tour guide performance; and more active and
visible role to be taken by the local tour guide associ-
ation.
The successful implementation of a strategy for up-
grading the service professionalism of Hong Kong's tour
guides will need the support of the government, the
inbound tour operators and educational institutions.
The recommended training programmes and a service
quality monitoring system should be presented to the
relevant industry bodies and government authorities
for their endorsement and support. The various recom-
mendations made are intended to provide the direction
for change towards upgrading the service professionalism
of Hong Kong's tour guides in the future. The improve-
ment in level of service quality will serve Hong Kong's
tourism industry very well, especially when the economy
recovers.
Upon re#ecting on the Hong Kong experience, the
question is raised*What are the lessons, if any, to be
learned for the guiding profession elsewhere? The experi-
ences 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 else-
where around the world. It is also noted that there has
not been any international-wide tour guiding studies
reported in the English-based literature and there is need
for further research to determine and assess the current
status of the profession. Based on the Hong Kong experi-
ence, in any attempt to upgrade and improve the perfor-
mance of tour guiding, the following are some lessons
learned:
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;
2. The use of an `apprenticeshipa system where a new-
comer learns through working with and observing an
experienced guide for a short period of time can help
set a higher standard and level of service within the
profession;
3. Professionalism may be increased through a re-
evaluation or re-de"nition of the role and responsib-
ilities of the tour guide through identifying a career
path for the guiding profession and the adoption of
new roles, such as a `conciergea and tour manager;
4. The performance and quality of the tour guide should
be judged in the context of the employer requirements,
itinerary and other constraints which may be imposed
upon the guide and are beyond the control of the
guide;
5. Unhealthy tour operator practices such as use of un-
quali"ed tour guides, reliance on commission income,
price discounting and `buyinga of tour groups pose
a threat to the sustainability of the profession and
industry. Wherever possible, such practices should not
be tolerated and preferably the practices should be
regulated or banned;
6. For a system of formal licensing to work, the accept-
ance and support of the government and industry is
necessary. Any e!ective monitoring system must have
legally enforceable penalties;
7. The real purpose for introducing a compulsory li-
censing system such as following the practice of other
countries, protecting the livelihood of guides, or en-
suring a minimum standard of professionalism needs
to be thoroughly addressed. Questions that need to be
asked are*Is it an appropriate course of action?, and
Will it actually lead to an improvement in the quality
of service?;
8. In order for the tour guiding profession to increase
its status and recognition, there is need for steady
income based on a standard minimum rate and/
or standardised reward system. As long as commis-
sions remain as the primary source of income, the
guiding profession will remain at the mercy of tour
operators and, at times, their questionable business
practices;
9. In order for a tour guide association to operate e!ec-
tively, it should have a clearly de"ned mission and
role, o!er tangible bene"ts, have the authority to
represent the interests of guides to government, indus-
try and the community. A code of professional con-
duct or ethics to set standards of behaviour should
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,
from time to time, the tour guide profession and tour
operators need to examine and assess the business
environment in which they operate. They both need to
think or plan strategically so that the respective par-
ties may obtain mutual bene"t, and ensure the long-
term sustainability of tourism in the community.
Holloway (1981) noted almost 20 years ago that
there was a paucity of studies on guides and tours,
and this observation still applies today. This study
represents one of the few documented, comprehensive
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
of Tourist Guide Associations and local associations
con"rm that studies of this type have not been under-
taken. Part of this may be attributed to the fragmented
and freelance nature of the profession where many
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
type of study in other countries, conducting a survey of
tour guides and obtaining their opinions on issues a!ect-
ing them and the industry. There is also need for an
international-wide study to examine what is the
current state of tour guiding around the world and
to identify the common issues and problems faced.
In conclusion, this study has provided some interest-
ing and revealing insights into understanding the
nature of, and issues faced, by the tour guiding
profession. Some new paths have been explored
and some areas for future research have been identi-
"ed. This study is one of, hopefully, many more to
come in the future as we develop a better understanding
of the nature of tour guiding, and seek its long-term
improvement.
Acknowledgements
The assistance of Peter Sandiford and Ken Yeung, and
the support of the Hong Kong SAR Government's
Service Support Fund are gratefully acknowledged.
Appendix A
Syllabus of the Tour co-ordinator Certi"cate Course is
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.

References of Hong Kong's tour co-ordinators: Strategic action report.

Cohen, E. (1985). The tourist guide: The origins, structure and dynamics
of a role. Annals of Tourism Research, 12(1), 5}29.
Cross, D. (1991). Please follow me: The practical tourist guides handbook.
Salisbury, England: Wessexplore Tourist Service.
de Kadt, E. (1979). Tourism: Passport to development.. New York:
Oxford University Press.
EFTGA. (1998). European federation of tour guides association*In-
formation brochure, Unpublished.
Geva, A., & Goldman, A. (1991). Satisfaction measurement in guided
tours. Annals of Tourism Research, 18(2), 177}185.
Holloway, C. (1981). The guided tour: A sociological approach. Annals
of Tourism Research, 8(3), 337}402.
Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators.
(1998). An evaluation of the need to upgrade the service professionalism
Consultancy Report.
Hong Kong Tourist Association. (1998). A statistical review of tourism
1997. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Tourist Association.
Hong Kong Tourist Association. (1999). A statistical review
of tourism 1998. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Tourist
Association.
Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills: Sage
Publications.
Mancini, M. (1990). Conducting tours: A practical guide. Cincinnati:
South-Western Publishing Co.
Mossberg, L. (1995). Tour leaders and their importance in charter tours.
Tourism Management, 16(6), 437}445.
Nettekoven, L. (1979). Mechanisms of intercultural interaction. In De
Kadt, E. (1979) Tourism: Passport to development. New York: Oxford
University Press.
 J. Ap, K.K.F. Wong / Tourism Management 22 (2001) 551}563 563

Pond, K. (1993). The professional guide: Dynamics of tour guiding. New
York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Professional Tour Guide Association of San Antonio. (1997). Profes-
sional tour guide certixcation study guide. San Antonio: Professional
Tour Guide Association of San Antonio.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research. Newbury
Park: Sage Publications.
Travel Industry Council. (1999). Inbound tourism needs immediate
attention. The Voice of TIC, 2, 2}8.
Wong, K. F., & Ap, J. (2000). Issues on international tour guiding
standards and practices. Working paper. Hong Kong: The Hong
Kong Polytechnic University.
Yin, R. (1989). Case study research: Design and methods.. Newbury Park:
Sage Publications.