The tourist guide and modern technology in Malta : a quest for interpretation and meeting tourist expectations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the stakeholders’ perceptions of the evolving role of the tourist guide and the impact of modern technology in Maltese tourism in pursuit of an enhanced tourist experience. Tourist guides have long been hailed as front-liners of this vital sector for the Maltese economy but locally there has been little in the way of evaluating the ongoing trends and challenges. This study aims to address these factors, focusing on the implications and opportunities created by new technologies which permeate every stage of the tourist experience, from the planning phase to the actual experience at the destination which is influenced by the contribution of different stakeholders, not least the tourist guide. Prominence is also given to interpretation which is intrinsically linked with the competences of the tourist guide and also covered by conventional devices such as audioguides and technological attractions like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. A qualitative approach is adopted for the research which is explorative and analytical in nature since it relies on people’s experiences and perceptions. The data was gathered from interviews with tourists, tourist guides, tour operators, a museum curator and an Artificial Intelligence developer. The research is further complemented by ethnographic observations of foreign tourists during organised excursions. The results show that the importance of the tourist guide is undiminished in the eyes of the local tourism stakeholders who nevertheless value the benefits of embracing the challenges brought about by technologies which can complement but not replace the work of the ‘human’ guide. Several of the study findings differed in various degrees from the opinions found in the literature review, especially the limited knowledge of new technologies by foreign tourists, tourist guides and local tour operators, dwindling interest in the tourist guiding profession, and the need for more training and education opportunities for tourist guides.