Abstract
This study explores how global crises—termed “polycrisis”—impact tourism, particularly the role of tour guides in shaping authentic experiences amid uncertainty. Tourism crises are not just objective events but socially constructed phenomena influenced by media, politics, and power dynamics. Gössling and Scott (2025) argue that tourism faces a polycrisis: a convergence of climate change, pandemics, geopolitical instability, and economic shocks, which interact and amplify vulnerabilities in the tourism system. Despite growing risks, the tourism sector remains largely reactive and unprepared, lacking tools for anticipatory governance. Tour guides, as frontline agents, play a crucial role in mediating tourist experiences, especially under crisis conditions. Drawing on Reisinger and Steiner’s (2006) constructivist view, authenticity in cultural tourism is co-created through emotional and existential engagement between guide and tourist, rather than through neutral fact delivery. This research adopts a qualitative, phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews with professional guides to explore themes like identity, emotional labour, and interpretive flexibility. Preliminary findings suggest guides vary in their approach to content delivery, with some maintaining strict neutrality and others adapting narratives to remain objective. These insights highlight how guides navigate geopolitical sensitivities and contribute to tourist satisfaction and place attachment. The study contributes to debates on authenticity, emotional labour, and resilience in tourism, offering practical implications for training and policy. Limitations include potential participant reluctance, self-censorship, and translation challenges. Nonetheless, the research provides valuable insights into how tourism professionals adapt and perform interpretive labour in a volatile global context.
Presenters
Ekaterina ShebanovaResearcher and Professor, TURCiT Research Group, CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy, Spain
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Critical Issues in Tourism and Leisure Studies
KEYWORDS
Cultural tourism, Polycrisis, Tourism guides, Tourism experience
