The Factors to Enhance the Performance Efficiency of Local Guides in Ecotourism Attractions

Abstract

The performances of local guides have been playing crucial roles in ecotourism to improve more acceptable service standards and tourism which helps to maintain ecotourism attractions to become continually balanced and sustainable. This article aims to present the key factors that can improve the performance efficiency of the tour operation in ecotourism for local guides after their training. The factors that can be used to enhance the local guides’ performance efficiency in tour operations will also be presented. In ecotourism, building balance between conservation and preservation of the local communities’ ways of life is necessary. In order to do so, the environmental sustainability, society, and culture need to be concerned along with the ecotourism through local tour guides who are usually closely associated with tourists and local tourist attractions.

In addition, the most considerable factors are the quality of the tourist attractions and the quality of the tourist experiences from the tour activities. Therefore, there are key factors to enhance the local tour guides to become more effective and successful in local tour operations: 1) duties and responsibilities, 2) knowledge providing and awareness of conservation raising, 3) basic characteristics and ethics of local tour guides, 4) achievement-oriented leadership, 5) welfare and safety and, 6) the collaboration of local tour agents and fair distribution of benefits in local communities. Furthermore, the application of these factors in performance monitoring can lead to the understanding not only in the impacts on ecotourism but also in possible ways for dealing with problems in tourist attractions accurately.