Understanding the world of the ecotour guide
To design effective and relevant ecotour guide training materials it is essential to understand the world of the ecotour guide (Ballantyne, 1998).
How do guides view their role? What skills do they regard as essential? What techniques do guides use to interpret the natural and cultural environment? How do ecotour guides protect and manage the fragile areas in which they operate? What do they perceive as their strengths and weaknesses as guides? How familiar are they with the principles of ‘best practice’ guiding and interpretation? Answers to such questions warrant careful consideration, for unless training materials are grounded in current ecotour guide attitudes and practice, academics and instructors run the risk of developing training products that are perceived as having little practical benefit. Indeed, McArthur (1996) has noted that this has been a common problem with regard to the application of tourism theories and research in the field, as in many cases research findings are not easily accessible to tour guides.