From Tradition to Innovation: Navigating the Future Roles of Tour Guides in Hong Kong

This paper examines the cultural brokering or mediating role of tour guides and the contribution of interpretation to that role. Using Chinese inbound tourism to Australia as a context, the paper draws on two separate mixed-methods studies to explore the views of tourism industry representatives, tour guides and visitors with respect to cultural mediation. In addition to defining and outlining the dimensions of cultural mediation, respondents elaborated on what these dimensions entail and how the cultural mediation performed by guides contributes to the visitor experience. The findings suggest that, to be a cultural mediator, a tour guide needs to perform a number of roles relating to three broad dimensions: the mediation of access, understanding, and encounters. The first and third, brokering physical access and facilitating opportunities for encounters and/or social interaction with locals, were both reported by visitors as important contributors to memorable experiences. However, it was the mediation of understanding, i.e., the guide's brokering of a cognitive/affective dimension to the experience, that visitors most frequently cited as contributing to experiences which were memorable. Finally, when asked to evaluate their tour guides' performance as cultural mediators, visitors reported that many guides fell short of adequately mediating their understanding of the host culture, which appears to be due to both the guides' lack of sufficient depth of knowledge about Australia and a lack of interpretation skills. The paper presents some of the implications of these findings for tour guiding and, in particular, for the more effective and widespread use of interpretation as a tool for mediating cultural understanding.

A key component of any destinations' culture is the country's indigenous population, including the indigenous tour guides who convey the indigenous experience to the tourists as they are mostly the only ones to be encountered at first hand by the tourists; yet, their exceptional role is largely unmapped. This research aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of indigenous tour guides on their cultural mediating role; specifically, in a cultural context in which the indigenous people are dominant, powerful in the society, and represent the majority of the local community. The research inquiry uses a qualitative approach employing key informants and semistructured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from tour guides in Jordan. The findings are organized in two themes based on the related literature and the interviews transcripts. First, tour guides' beliefs about their role as cultural mediators. Next, tour guides' opinions about the influencing action they practice in their interpretation. The research emphasized the utmost exceptionality of indigenous tour guides as innate cultural mediators revealing their influencing power of such mediation, specifically in an oriental cultural setting. The research recommends considering the indigenous tour guides as key players in bridging the gaps between different cultures, giving the fact that indigenous knowledge is acquired from being indigenous people. In addition, the research indicated that it is critical to recognize the quality of mediation they perform, taking into account the accurate interpretation of the destination's culture.

Purpose – The advancement of digital technology has significantly transformed the field of education, including Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning. In Indonesia, the increasing number of internet users and the adoption of technological devices reflect a broad digital transformation. The Merdeka Belajar program demonstrates the government's commitment to digitizing education, including PAI. However, in rural areas such as Gunungkidul Regency, integrating technology into PAI learning still faces challenges, such as limited infrastructure readiness and teachers’ digital competence. Therefore, this study aims to identify the level of digital technology utilization in PAI learning, evaluate teachers’ digital competence, analyze the impact of technology integration on learning effectiveness, and develop a digital technology integration model relevant to the local context. Design/methods/approach – This study employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, documentation, and surveys involving 30 PAI teachers from 19 senior high schools (SMA) in Gunungkidul Regency, selected using a purposive sampling technique. The analysis is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) frameworks to understand technology acceptance and teachers’ digital competence. Findings – The findings indicate that the utilization of digital technology in PAI learning is relatively widespread, with platforms such as Google Classroom, Moodle, and Edmodo being used. However, there are still gaps in infrastructure and teachers’ digital competence, particularly in creating interactive digital content. Most teachers still rely on simple presentation media and have not fully optimized technology for innovative learning. The integration of technology has been proven to enhance accessibility and interactivity in learning; however, it also poses challenges such as students’ dependency on technology and the limited training opportunities for teachers. To address these challenges, this study proposes a technology integration model that focuses on improving teachers’ digital competence, ensuring equitable infrastructure distribution, developing digital content, and implementing a hybrid learning model. Research implications – The findings provide recommendations for teachers, policymakers, and educational institutions to enhance the effectiveness of digital-based PAI learning. Several strategic steps are proposed, including intensive training for teachers in digital content creation, equalizing access to technology in remote areas, and implementing a hybrid learning model that combines conventional methods with digital technology. Furthermore, improving students’ digital literacy is also a crucial step to ensure that the integration of technology in PAI learning goes beyond mere accessibility and fosters a deeper understanding of Islamic values.

ABSTRACTWhile tourism as an academic major has been taught for decades in tertiary institutions across the world, few studies have explored the perceptions of undergraduate tourism students on tourism careers. In specific, no study has investigated the perceptions of students on guiding career. Thus, this study sought to explore the perceptions of Jordanian undergraduate students majoring in Tour Guiding. To measure students’ perceptions, a structured questionnaire was employed. The responses revealed that the students considered tour guiding as a potentially interesting career that allows a degree of autonomy, while offering the opportunity to gain new knowledge and meet foreign and famous people. However, the students considered it is difficult to ensure a stable income in tour guiding, but thought that tipping and commissions are important sources of income for tour guides. They perceived that a tour-guiding career is highly regarded by their families and the wider community in Jordan. Research indicated that office-based permanent job careers are more respected by the general public than freelance careers. The results show the students’ awareness of the diversity of tour-guiding roles including promoters of their country, cultural mediators and positive influencers of tourist behaviour.

The COVID-19 outbreak has negatively affected all categories of tourism services operators and tour guides became especially vulnerable due to their small size, independent activity and difficulty in accessing governmental funding and support. Romanian tour guides make no exception and face increased vulnerability in the context of dramatic decline of international tourism. The present study aims to reveal the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the activity of Romanian tour guides and to identify possible measures which may mitigate the effects of such crises on the activity of tour guides and support their revival. A qualitative research was conducted, using structured interviews among 15 tour guides from Romania. Results indicate a series of challenges faced by tour guides in Romania, as well as the outcome of the following period. These findings may be useful to tourism policy-makers and tourism organizations in order to develop effective measures which may support tour guiding activities during crises.

A conservation-based tourism paradigm is needed to face the new normality of the tourism sector in Temajuk village, Sambas Regency, after the COVID-19 pandemic. This conservation is carried out by harmonizing the needs of local communities and tourists. Knowledge related to conservation, including biotic, abiotic, and cultural factors, must be disseminated to tour guides, especially local ones. This Community Service (PKM) activity aims to assist local tour guides regarding conservation steps for geotourism objects. Assistance activities include socialization, tour guide training (in class and the field), collaborative networks between local tour guides, marketing strategies, and promoting the Temajuk Sambas tourist destination area. Training and assistance are provided to students of the Poltesa Tourism Business Management study program (Sambas State Polytechnic) as local guides from one of the geo-tourism destinations in the Temajuk Sambas area, such as J Lo Beach. As a result of this activity, tour guides now understand that conservation is part of geotourism objectives that must be implemented to ensure the sustainability of meeting the needs of local communities, tourists, and the environment.

The article is devoted to the problem of formation of future teachers’ digital competence in the modern learning space. The purpose of the article is to determine the essence and content of a teacher’s digital competence on the basis of scientific literature analysis, to analyze the possibilities of formation of digital competence of students of pedagogical specialties in the modern learning space. The purpose realization involves the following tasks: to define and compare different definitions of the term “digital competence” by scientists; to reveal the essence and content of future teachers’ digital competence; to identify and characterize the ways, methods, forms, and means of formation of digital competence among the students of pedagogical specialties. Methodology. To achieve the purpose a complex of theoretical and empirical research methods was used. The theoretical methods included: analysis, comparison, generalization, systematization of scientific works and regulatory documents to determine the key concepts of the research and clarify the authors’ point of view regarding the essence of a teacher’s digital competence. In addition to the specified theoretical methods, empirical methods of scientific knowledge were used: the study of future teachers’ professional training, questionnaires, interviews with those who received pedagogical education, expert evaluation – in order to study the process of future teachers’ digital competence formation. Results. The analysis of international legal documents and scientific works of various scientists proves that the concept of “digital competence” is interpreted ambiguously. In particular, the first European framework of teachers’ digital competence states that digital competence is a specialist’s personal formation that integrates the following components: professional involvement, working with digital resources, teaching and learning with the use of these resources, evaluation of results, expansion of students’ opportunities, the development of digital competence in subjects of education. The formation of digital competence of students of pedagogical specialties is provided in various ways: teaching special courses, involving future teachers in educational activities based on the use of various digital tools, organizing students’ work with digital textbooks, reference sources and multimedia information systems, electronic simulators, digital laboratory tools, encouraging specialists to receive non-formal education. Conclusions. In the article, a future teacher’s digital competence is understood as a personal formation that integrates relevant motives, values, attitudes, knowledge of various digital resources, means, tools, technologies, as well as the ability to apply them in practical pedagogical activities on the basis of critical analysis and evaluation. The formation of future teachers’ digital competence involves a systematic combination of various methods and forms of education, constant rethinking of approaches to the organization and content of this process, ensuring an organic combination of methods of formal, non-formal and informal education.

This research investigates English language teachers' perceptions and practices concerning technology integration within the Indonesian educational landscape. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study involved 120 English teachers from diverse educational levels, including primary, junior high, senior high, and higher education institutions. Participants completed an online survey, and a subset of 15 teachers was selected for follow-up interviews and classroom observations to provide deeper qualitative insights. The findings indicate a significant discrepancy between teachers’ generally positive attitudes toward the use of technology (mean score = 4.21 on a 5-point Likert scale) and the extent to which they actually implement technology in their teaching practices (mean score = 3.15). This gap suggests that favorable perceptions alone are not sufficient to ensure effective classroom integration. Through statistical analysis, four primary factors were identified as influencing technology integration. These include teachers’ digital competence (β = 0.43, p < 0.01), institutional support (β = 0.38, p < 0.01), pedagogical beliefs (β = 0.35, p < 0.01), and access to adequate infrastructure (β = 0.32, p < 0.01). These results highlight the multifaceted nature of technology integration, where both individual competencies and systemic support play crucial roles. Qualitative data further enrich the findings by illustrating the lived experiences of teachers. While educators recognize that technology can enhance student engagement, foster interactive and authentic language learning environments, and provide access to diverse resources, they encounter several challenges. These include difficulties in aligning digital tools with curricular goals, managing student behavior in tech-enhanced classrooms, and assessing learning outcomes effectively in digital contexts.

Several factors are affecting the hydrological cycles but human activities have played a major role in the experienced hydrological changes. Some human activities such as agriculture and industrialization have contributed to the change in the water balance through the extraction of water, construction of impoundments and climate change factors. The fluctuations in the water levels have effects on the ecosystem, as they interrupt the natural and breeding habitats of some animals such as the fish and other wildlife and the germination of coastal plants. Some of the methods used to mitigate floods in Kenya include the; establishment of early warning systems, establishment and improvement of infrastructure such as flood-resistant roads and bridges in affected areas, and community-driven initiatives such as the participatory mapping of flood-prone areas. Based on the Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) Theory, this study has incorporated a multi-faceted design of field surveys, observations, and stakeholder interviews to meet the following objective; to determine the ecosystem-based adaptation strategies for flood mitigation in the Lake Naivasha catchment. With a target population of 29,190, a sample size of n=395 comprising of stakeholders in different areas including fishermen, farmers, tour guides, and tourists and other residents was identified randomly and helped to collect data to determine the existing Ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) strategies for mitigating floods in the catchment. The study employed a descriptive correlational method comprising of combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to comprehensively assess severity of floods in the Lake Naivasha catchment, identify the existing EBA strategies in the catchment and understand their effectiveness in mitigating floods in the catchment. Primary data was collected through structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Descriptive analysis was used and this included a chi-square test used to analyze categorical variables to examine any significant differences between occupation and awareness of ecosystem-based strategies among participants. The findings of this study indicated that EBA strategies such as agroforestry and afforestation were the highly adopted non-structural strategies while soil conservation terraces and rain-water harvesting were the highly adopted structural strategies and were highly effective in mitigating the floods hence combating the impacts of climate change (Sustainable Development Goal 13) such as flood risks, improving water quality and enhancing community resilience in Lake Naivasha catchment. From the study, 77.75% of the participants reported that they had experienced observable positive changes in flood occurrence with most of the residents (81.87%) who use afforestation and agroforestry claiming to have observed a reduction in floods occurrence in the catchment. From the study, the highly adopted non-structural EBA strategies were afforestation and agroforestry due to their co-benefits and government support while the least were mulching and cover cropping due to insufficient knowledge on the application methods. The study recommends that more research should be done to understand other flood mitigation measures to help reduce the impacts of severe floods in the catchment, awareness creation among more community members regarding EBA strategies, their effectiveness in flood mitigation and how the community members can participate at the individual and community levels in adopting these strategies.

The purpose of this research is to analyse how tour guides might facilitate cross-cultural understanding. The role of the tour guide extends beyond that of a simple information transmitter; they also serve as a cultural mediator, deciphering social mores and cultural symbols. This is accomplished through a philosophical method. This study also highlights the importance of the guide in enriching tourists' experiences and understanding of diverse cultures and civilizations. The goal of tour guiding is to ensure that all visitors, regardless of their background, faith, or nationality, can fully appreciate and understand a destination's rich history and culture. Consequently, this promotes understanding and the coming together of diverse peoples, civilisations, and cultures. In the pursuit of cultural and human experience, it emphasizes the significance of the tour guide's speech when it is comprehended and thoughtfully planned to coincide with the tourist's knowledge and cultural background. As a result, this helps break down prejudice and opens the door to dialogue between cultures, arts, and people. Additionally, the study examines the importance of tour guides' professionalism and ethical behavior in accurately representing their culture while also valuing and respecting the cultures of their clients. This is because cross-border human, cultural, and social exchanges are inherent in all forms of tourist communication. Finally, we present a new paradigm for tour guides, referring to them as "practical philosophers," whose primary responsibility is to convey cultural values, ideas, and meanings rather than merely factual information. As a whole, this strategy helps bring people together and fosters mutual understanding and acceptance across cultures.

Considering its strategic position, Turkey is under high risk of being exposed to various types of crises. The businesses tend to pursue downsizing policy, and this reduces the rate of countrywide employment on a large-scale. Apart from government and business policies taken as measures against crises in tourism, positive attitudes of tour guides, one of the most significant actors of tourism industry, against their professions are also critical. In this sense, the educational institutions that train and educate prospective tour guides have some critical missions. From this viewpoint, this study aims to reveal the relation of crises in Turkey that also affect tourism industry on professional attitudes of tour guiding students. Mixed method was adopted in this study, and the data were obtained through face-to-face interviews conducted with 19 tour guiding students and through surveys sent to 424 tour guiding students in various higher education institutions that offer tour guiding program in Turkey. At the end of this study, it was observed that the crisis negatively related with the professional attitudes of tour guiding students. It has been determined that especially the tourist guiding students learn from the crises, they want to improve themselves, want become a preferred tourist guide and perform the profession, look to the future with hope and be successful in their future profession life.

Surveying Ancient City of Salamis via Drama Method

Aim. Employability has gained increased interest after the respective global shocks of 2008 and 2020. The study deepens the theory of employability in relation to a globally significant tourism industry. The aim of the study is to identify the core dimensions of the employability of tour-guides. Method. The study adopted a qualitatively intrinsic case study at a world heritage site (WHS), namely the Maropeng Visitor Centre. The researcher focused on the notion of employability for tour-guides, based on existing research gaps regarding those two central concepts. Results. The study determines the roles and responsibilities of tour-guides so as to align these to the notion of employability capital of tour-guides. Secondly, the study probed how higher education institutions (HEIs) should contribute to tour-guides’ employability particularly, and their employability capital, generally. Moreover, misconceptions emerged about HEIs’ offerings concerning employability and tour-guides’ education. Conclusions. Employability capital has become a factor influencing success in the work environment. This study revealed the importance of practical courses in tourism education (tour guiding, first aid, and additional languages) and highlighted the imperative to understand students’ skills and capabilities within the scope of practical training courses. Originality. The study advances knowledge on employability capital in relation to tour guiding at WHS. This would help to develop a better system that would increase employability capital in the tour-guiding sector.

This study examines the impact of information, technology, and communication literacy on enhancing students' digital competence at STMIK Mardira Indonesia, Bandung City. Rapid technological advancements have transformed numerous facets of life, necessitating the education sector to adapt to enhance the quality of human resources for competition in the digital age. Digital competence is a crucial ability for students navigating the progressively technology-driven workforce. This competency encompasses critical, creative, and ethical comprehension of technology utilization and the capacity to manage information efficiently. Information literacy aids individuals in identifying information requirements, locating, assessing, and utilizing information judiciously. Simultaneously, technology and communication promote digital competencies by granting access to diverse resources and enhancing the capacity to disseminate knowledge efficiently. This study employs a quantitative methodology utilizing a saturation sampling technique, wherein the complete population of 46 individuals served as the research sample. Data analysis was conducted employing multiple regression procedures, utilizing validity, reliability, and hypothesis testing as statistical analytic tools. The study indicated that technology and communication significantly enhance pupils' digital competency. Students with proficient access to technology and strong communication skills are more capable of enhancing their digital competence. Nonetheless, the study's findings indicated that information literacy did not significantly enhance students' digital competence. This study indicates that while information literacy is a crucial component of higher education, technological and communicative aspects are more influential in developing students' digital competence in the contemporary digital landscape. Consequently, universities must prioritize enhancing technology and communication competencies within the curriculum and educational programs to better prepare students for the digital workforce. Despite the lack of noteworthy findings regarding information literacy in this study, educational institutions must continue to promote awareness of their value as a component of 21st-century abilities. The findings of this study are anticipated to serve as a reference for policymakers in formulating more effective ways to enhance students' digital competency, hence augmenting the competitiveness of graduates in the progressively competitive landscape of globalization.

The lack of digital competence among some teachers negatively impacts their ability to manage classrooms effectively. This study aims to analyze English teachers' attitudes toward digital competence and the initiatives they undertake to improve these skills. The study employs a qualitative approach with an investigative narrative design. The Digital Competence Framework for Educators (DigCompEdu) is adopted as the foundation of the research. The subjects of the study are four English teachers. Data were collected through interviews and documentation, using questionnaires as the primary instrument. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that teachers demonstrate positive attitudes toward digital competence and the integration of technology in the classroom. They recognize the benefits of technology in enhancing student engagement, creativity, and understanding. Overall, the teachers' digital competence is assessed at the "Expert" level. Furthermore, the teachers actively engage in professional development through activities such as webinars, workshops, institutional/government support programs, and informal learning. This study concludes that developing teachers' digital competence is crucial to meeting the demands of technology integration in educational environments. These findings have implications for improving teaching effectiveness, supporting the implementation of technology-based learning, and fostering innovative learning among students.