Guiding the experience: How tour guides’ skills shape senior tourists’ intentions

New research highlights the role of tour guides’ professional competencies in influencing senior tourists’ behavioral intentions, analyzing how quality guiding shapes travel satisfaction and future tourism demand

Research Corner | A partnership between Macau Business and the Macao University of Tourism (UTM)

In a study led by Dr. Jim Luo from the Macao University of Tourism, together with Don Wu, Hangjun Zhang, Alan Cheng, and Miaojuan Lin, the researchers examined how different dimensions of guiding competence impact senior tourists’ experiences. While previous research often emphasized destination infrastructure or attractions, this study shifts the focus to human interaction, specifically the tour guide as a facilitator between place and visitor.

Based on survey data from 258 senior tourists who joined daily group tours in Hangzhou, one of China’s top destinations, the study used structural equation modeling to evaluate the effects of professional competencies on tourist behavioral intention. Aimed at proposing a framework to study these effects, four main concepts were located: Professional Competency, Perceived Safety of Attraction, Perceived Quality of Itinerary and Behavioral Intentions.

Findings show that tour guides’ competencies significantly shape seniors’ satisfaction and their willingness to recommend or revisit destinations. Professional knowledge and communication skills were shown to be the most influential factors, enabling tourists not only to better understand cultural heritage but also to feel more engaged and secure during their journeys. Service orientation also played a critical role, with empathetic guidance and personalized support strongly linked to positive emotional experiences. As such, problem-solving ability was valued most when unexpected disruptions occurred, reinforcing seniors’ trust in the guide.

The study underlines that for senior tourists facing mobility, health, or information-processing constraints, skilled guiding does more than enhance enjoyment: it builds confidence and reduces perceived risks, directly influencing future travel behavior.

Implications for the tourism industry

These findings have clear implications for training and policy in tourism services. The researchers argue that guide certification programs should integrate not only factual knowledge but also soft skills such as empathy, patience, and clear communication, particularly for aging tourist segments.

For destinations like Hangzhou, investing in professional guide development focused on the elderly can enhance competitiveness by ensuring consistent, high-quality visitor experiences. Tour operators are encouraged to match senior-friendly services with guides who possess both cultural expertise and the interpersonal ability to create comfort and trust.

More broadly, the study highlights the role of human capital in tourism. As global populations age, adapting guiding practices to seniors’ needs may be a decisive factor in attracting repeat visitors and cultivating positive destination images.

– The researchers

Yixin Jim Luo is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies at Macao University of Tourism, Macao SAR, China. His research interests include service quality management, destination image, destination management, HRM, and Chinese tourism.

Don Wu is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies at Macao University of Tourism, Macao SAR, China. His research interests focus on the intersection of tourism management and data analytics.

Hangjun Zhang is a postdoctoral researcher in the International School of Cultural Tourism at Hangzhou City University, China. Her research interests focus on information technology in tourism and hospitality fields, technology adoption behavior, e-tourism, cultural tourism, and SEM-based quantitative research.

Wan Lok Alan Cheng is an instructor in the Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management at Macao University of Tourism, Macao SAR, China. His research interests include experiential learning and hospitality internship.

Miaojuan Lin is a doctoral student in the DBA program at Brest Business School, France, specializing in Advanced Public Administration. Her research interests include senior tourism, public administration, and international trade.

– The paper

Luo, Y., Wu, D., Zhang, H., Cheng, W. L., & Lin, M. (2025). The Impact of Tour Guides’ Professional Competencies on Tourist Behavioral Intention: The Case of Daily Group Tours of Senior Tourists in Hangzhou, China. Journal of China Tourism Research.