Implementing Cross-Cultural Communication in Tour Guiding Styles. A Study of Foreign Tourists in Indonesia

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-912-4_13How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Tour Guiding; Cross-cultural Communication; Educational Tourism

Abstract

This study explores the role of cross-cultural communication in shaping the guiding styles of Indonesian tour guides when interacting with foreign tourists. Using a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with professional tour guides, the research identifies key patterns in communicative strategies, cultural sensitivity, and adaptive behavior. Findings reveal that tour guides act not only as informants but also as cultural mediators, educators, and group facilitators. Drawing upon Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this study demonstrates how guides develop cultural intelligence and intercultural competence through both formal training and field-based experiential learning. Moreover, the use of interpretive guiding techniques such as culturally contextualized humor, reflective dialogue, and personalized storytelling enables guides to foster mutual understanding and enhance the quality of tourist experiences. The research highlights the importance of integrating intercultural education into guiding practices as a key competency in global tourism, particularly in culturally diverse destinations such as Indonesia.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this license to share adapted material derived from this chapter or parts of it.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Debi Rusmiati
AU  - Geri Suratno
AU  - Nexen Alexandre Pinontoan
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/07
TI  - Implementing Cross-Cultural Communication in Tour Guiding Styles. A Study of Foreign Tourists in Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the Palembang Tourism Forum Volume 2 2025 (PTF-2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 132
EP  - 147
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-912-4_13
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-912-4_13
ID  - Rusmiati2025
ER  -