The Importance of Interpretatıon Role of Tour Guıdes in Geotourısm: Can We Called Them as Geotour Guıdes?
Abstract
This study has drawn a frame for the importance of interpretation role of tour guides in geotourism by reviewing the literature broadly. Initially, the "geotour guide" term was suggested in order to specialize the tour guide who performs in geosites and geoparks. The concept was defined in the frame of geotourism literature. Their roles in geotourism were reviewed and, their interpretation role which is essential for geosites and geoparks was stressed. Even though there are some studies on geotourism interpretation, there is still a gap in the literature, as existing studies mainly focused on non-personal techniques than the personal ones, especially applied by tour guides. Although this study was not supported with an empirical research, it is believed that it can attract the attention of the researchers about geotour guide concept and their necessity on geotourism interpretation.