Abstract:
The study and revision of the tourist guide and tour leader training courses was a qualitative
research. The objectives of the study were: 1) to study opinions on existing Undergraduate
Curriculum and Higher Diploma Curriculum of Tourism Programs; to investigate opinions on
existing tourist guide and tour leader training courses of Department of Tourism; and to analyze
content, appropriateness, and requirements of training courses according to labor market, tour
operators, and tourists; and 2) to synthesize revised contents and present the revised tourist
guide and tour leader training courses in accordance with the Revised Law of Tour Operators
and Tourist Guides as well as to satisfy the demand in the labor market, tour operators, and
tourists. Populations were tourism and tourist guide experts and stakeholders related to the
tourist guide and tour leader training courses. Thirty-one key informants in tour operators and
tourist guides were interviewed and the seminar with 400 stakeholders was conducted through
purposive sampling during October 2017 to March 2018. Data obtained through interviews and seminars
was analyzed by content analysis. The research tools for the data collection were structured
interviews and the commentary and suggestion form of revised training courses for tour guides
and tour leaders. The study results showed that: 1) existing Undergraduate Curriculum and Higher
Diploma Curriculum of Tourism Programs covered all subjects included in the tourist guide training
courses of Department of Tourism. But the content of the available training courses was not
suitable to keep up with changing situations at the present and do not respond to requirements
of training courses according to labor market, tour operators, and tourists. 2) The revision of the
tourist guide and tour leader training courses was synthesized and presented as the 2018
revised training courses including the General Tourist Guide Training Course, and the Regional
Tourist Guide Training Courses for four regions, and the Tour Leader Training Course. In terms of
the content structure, both general tourist guide training course and regional tourist guide training
courses were consisted of general academic knowledge, regional academic knowledge, professional
knowledge and skills, foreign language competency, field studies, and practical training with tour
operators. The content of the tour leader training course was composed of general academic
knowledge, professional knowledge and skill, foreign language competency, and practical training
with tour operator.