Conclusion
Although ecotourism literature
claims that tour guides have the
potential to encourage visitors to
adopt positive attitudes towards
the natural environment, this
study suggests that guides
themselves regard practices
associated with monitoring,
protecting and conserving the
natural environment as
secondary to delivering technically
accurate information. This
does not mean that guides are
behaving in an environmentally
irresponsible manner, but it does
suggest that their potential to act
as environmental caretakers has
yet to be realised.
There is increasing evidence to
suggest that using a range of
interpretive techniques attracts
and maintains visitor interest.
When guides were asked to rate
specific practices, however, these
interpretive techniques were
generally accorded the lowest
importance. In fact, the use of
models, diagrams, provocative
statements, props, and gestures
were all perceived to be relatively
unimportant and were rarely
used by those questioned. The
low priority given to interpretive
techniques suggests that formal
and informal training of tour
guides needs to highlight the
fundamental role played by these
techniques. It seems that the
importance of interpretation has
yet to be communicated to those
in the field, and that more effort
needs to be made to inform guides
of new techniques and developments.
Producing a training
package focusing on interpretation
techniques in natural
environments is an important
step in this direction, and one
that was met with enthusiasm by
those involved in the trial
workshops.
This study highlights the
importance of developing links
between researchers, trainers and
guides to ensure that research
findings inform both training
approaches and practices in the
field. Although interpretation
and environmental protection are
widely accepted in academic
circles as fundamental to ‘best
practice’ guiding, it seems that
guides themselves have yet to
realise and respond to the rapidly
evolving and multi-faceted nature
of their occupation.