Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Academic Tourism Studies, cilt.4, sa.1, ss.1-18, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi)
Tourist guides are a key component of the tourism industry, contributing to the destination’ image,
country-wide tourism, and the overall experience of tourists. They are one of the occupational
groups most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to determine how and to what
extent tourist guides are affected by the pandemic, what to expect from relevant institutions and
organizations in possible crisis periods and to make suggestions in this regard. To this end, a case
study was chosen as the study design, and the interview technique, which is one of the qualitative
data collection methods, was preferred. The data were collected from 15 tourist guides who went
on tours at least once during the pandemic period, and were subjected to content and descriptive
analysis. The findings revealed that tourist guides were deeply affected by the pandemic in
economic, psychological, social, and professional terms. Moreover, it was determined that tourist
guides have expectations from relevant institutions, such as grant support and effective
management during times of crisis. Based on the findings, some suggestions were made to
stakeholders in the tourism sector.