An investigation of the critical issues about tour guides' service quality towards the tourists in Mainland China: A case of Chinese Taipei

It is estimated that by 2020, Mainland China will have produced 100 million outbound trips going to every corner of the globe, making it the largest producer of tourists in the world. Recently, it has become one of the world's most watched and hottest outbound tourist markets. Considering the growing importance of the Mainland China outbound tourism market, the focus of this research examines the critical issues affecting the tour guides' service quality in Chinese Taipei. The primary data of this study was gathered by qualitative in-depth interviews. The issues identified were classified into five categories: lack of recognition and a poor image of the profession, unethical business practices of Mainland China outbound, tourists' concern of tour fares instead of the quality of the tour, tour guides' responsibilities required with the performance of significant emotional labor, licensing and training to enhance the service quality of the tour guiding. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the critical issues which can impact the tour guides' service quality when serving in the Chinese tourism market in Chinese Taipei.