A STUDY FOR DETERMINING THE PROFESSIONAL TOURIST GUIDES’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT TECHNOLOGICAL GUIDES: THE CASE OF ISTANBUL

Abstract

Developing science and technology affects the manufacturing sector as well as many professions in the service sector where human-human relations are at the forefront. One of the important occupations of the tourism industry, the tourist guidance profession has also become one of the professions affected by the developing technology. Today, technological guides (TG) such as audioguide, guide player, mobile guide, robot tourist guide, interactive multimedia tour guide, serve domestic and foreign tourists. This study aims to present the opinions of professional tourist guides who provide guidance in Istanbul about effect of TGs on tourist guide need, occupational threat perception, work attitude, work motivation, robot tour guide (RTG) performance, tourists’ guide preferences, contribution of artificial intelligence studies to RTG's guidance performance