Examining Tour Guides’ Service Quality in the World Heritage Sites of Gondar City, Northwest, Ethiopia

PURPOSE: The study intends to investigate tour guides’ service quality in the World Heritage sites of Gondar City, using Weiler and Black’s (2015) four domains of service quality assessment tool. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This research adopts a cross-sectional descriptive study design and employs a quantitative research approach with a systematic sampling technique to address its objectives. FINDINGS: Based on the four tour services quality domains of Weiler and Black (2015), Gondar City’s tour guides provide a relatively good quality of service. Among these four domains, mediating physical access and mediating encounters were properly delivered through enhanced interactions of tourists with local communities. Moreover, in the domain of mediating understanding, tour guides deliver consistent service and information for all visitors in line with the pre-planned tour package. However, the study reveals limitations of engaging visitors to co-create service experience. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: This study has some shortcomings. The research would result in more robust findings had it adopted a mixed-method research approach. Another limitation is related to the lack of methodological sophistication for the quantitative data. However, that was done intentionally since we aim to provide research beneficiaries with a straightforward and much simpler analysis for a better understanding. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The research findings offer crucial practical implications to the tour guides of Gondar City and Gondar City Administration Culture and Tourism Office in terms of enhancing the skills and professionalism of guides so that they execute their job efficiently and thereby satisfy tourists. Moreover, as the study specifically points out gaps and weaknesses of tour guides, it implies essential information for other stakeholders to take action. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Despite Gondar City’s rich accounts of history, culture and heritage with a promising tourism sector, thus far the tour guides have not been given adequate attention. This is a pioneering study in this respect that suggests crucial and timely implications