Optimizing Tour Guide Selection: A Best–Worst Scaled Assessment of Critical Performance Criteria for Enhanced Tour Quality

Omer Bafail () and Abdulkader Hanbazazah
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Omer Bafail: Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80204, Saudi Arabia
Abdulkader Hanbazazah: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 23890, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: This study addresses the critical need for an evaluation framework for tour guides within the rapidly expanding tourism sector of Saudi Arabia. Employing the best–worst method, a robust multi-criteria decision-making technique, this study identifies and prioritizes key criteria for tour guide performance. Experts ranked local cultural and historical background as the most significant attribute, demonstrating its importance in delivering authentic and enriching visitor experiences. Results revealed the relative weights of other criteria, highlighting the significance of several factors such as language proficiency, time management, and environmental and ethical awareness. Notably, technology adaption criterion received the lowest weighting, indicating a potential area for future focus within the Saudi tourism sector. The study’s findings provide a foundational framework for developing a comprehensive tour guide evaluation system. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on tour guide evaluation and offers practical implications for training and development initiatives within the Saudi Arabian tourism industry.

Keywords: tour guide criteria; MCDM; BWM; tourism; criteria assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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