Role of tour guides on tourist satisfaction level in guided tours and impact on re-visiting Intention: a research in Istanbul

Traveller’s wishes, needs and expectations keep changing constantly as destinations vie with each other to increase their share from the international tourism pie. Destinations need to offer qualified service and renew themselves continuously. In this context, tour guides as key representatives of destinations play a significant role on tourist satisfaction and re-visit intention. This research aims to ascertain the role played by tour guides on the satisfaction level of tourists participating in guided tours in Istanbul. Another aim of this research is to determine the impact level of tour guides on the possible re-visit intention of tourists to the same destination. Based on 530 completed surveys from international tourists, the findings revealed a significant relationship between tourist satisfaction, re-visiting intention and tour guiding service. Following the evaluation of the findings, recommendations were developed for the tourism industry.