Author Identifier (ORCID)
Songshan (Sam) Huang: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4990-2788
Abstract
Purpose – Existing knowledge on tour guiding is fragmented, which limits the understanding of this important profession. This paper aims to critically examine the progress of tour guide research, identify key theoretical tensions and propose future research directions based on a systematic synthesis of existing knowledge. Design/methodology/approach – A thematic analysis was conducted on 267 papers retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. Papers were systematically coded, categorized into themes and integrated into a framework that represents relationships among key themes in tour guide research. Findings – The analysis generated an integrated framework consisting of nine interrelated themes. Antecedents such as “stakeholder expectations, ” “external challenges, ” “organizational factors, ” “capacity building and development” and “tour guide personal attributes” influence tour guides’ “roles, ” “wellbeing” and “performance.” Tour guide “roles, ” “personal attributes” and “performance” are closely linked to “tourist outcomes.” The authors identify key research problems in the existing literature and propose a research agenda that highlights the need for empirical validation of the profession’s distinct characteristics, exploration of role conflicts and examination of the tensions between idealized expectations and occupational realities. Originality/value – The review contributes to the literature by synthesizing progress in tour guide research, explicitly identifying unresolved theoretical tensions and offering a comprehensive agenda to guide future work. It provides valuable insights for researchers, policymakers and industry practitioners seeking to advance understanding and professionalization of the tour guiding profession.
Keywords
Tour guide, research progress, thematic analysis, research agenda, tourist experience, integrated framework, 导游, 研究进展, 主题分析, 研究议程, 游客体验, 综合框架, guía turístico, progreso de la investigación, análisis temático, agenda de investigación, experiencia del turista, marco integrado
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Tourism Review
Publisher
Emerald
School
School of Business and Law
RAS ID
88840
Funders
Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (23SKGH206, KJQN202500906)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
First Page
1
Last Page
27
Comments
This is an Authors Accepted Manuscript version of an article published by Emerald Publishing in Tourism Review. The published article is available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-06-2025-0635
Yu, Z., Huang, S., Deng, J., Zhou, W., & Li, Z. (2026). Tour guide research revisited: A thematic synthesis and future directions. Tourism Review, 81(1), 229–255. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-06-2025-0635