Need for Professionalism and Quality Service of the Tourist Guides in Oman

Purpose: The objectives of the study are to investigate the factors impeding the professionalism of the tourist guides in Oman and to analyze the service quality improvement of the tourist guides.Design/methodology/approach: 56 samples were collected from the tourist guides in Oman working in public and private sector, and the samples were selected on a random sampling basis. Using a well-defined questionnaire data was collected, analyzed and interpreted to derive the conclusion.Findings: The empirical results reveal that there is a rectilinear relationship between the finance, societal factors and the success of tourist guide profession. But it is observed that from the negative coefficients that the finance and societal factors make a negative impact on the tourist guide job.Practical implications: It is suggested that specialized courses should be offered by the government to tourist guides to improve their performances and, financial and moral support should also be provided by the government to take up tourist guide profession. The tourist guides prefer the government should support tourist guides to participate in global events of tourism. Social implications: It is found that the tourist guides profession is considered neither as a decent job nor as a prestigious job by the society and the media only can correct the view of the society.Originality/value: No study has investigated the professionalism and quality of service of the tourist guides in Oman, and this study will help the planners and the government to boost tourism