The impact of tour guides’ emotional behavior on tourists’ affective state

Abstract

With the changing behavior of tourists, the role of tour guides in modern tourism extends beyond representing and presenting specific locations. The study examines the role of tour guide interactions and behavior in tourists ’emotional reactions and decision-making processes, which appears as an under-researched area in domestic and international academic literature. The research employs secondary and primary methods. Secondary research analyzed previous studies related to the topic, focusing on the relationship between tourism psychology and tour guiding. Primary data collection was carried out using an in-depth interview research method and a questionnaire survey. Based on the research findings, tour guides’ emotional expressions have a measurable and statistically significant impact on tourists ’affective states. Within the examined sample, an increase in the perceived intensity of emotional expressions by tour guides was associated with a positive change in tourists ’moods. The study provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between tour guides’ interactions and tourists ’emotional responses.