The effects of the tourist guide profession in the transmission of cultural heritage

The concept of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage was introduced by UNESCO, and steps have been taken to protect and preserve these cultural elements. The Intangible Cultural Heritage List, which was first adopted in 2008, includes the elements of Meddah Performance and Mevlevi Sema Rituals from Turkey. One of the professions that can provide accurate and comprehensive information about these cultures and sites is tourist guiding. Tourist guiding, which has been researched and assigned different roles over time, is among the professions that preserve cultural heritage. The study population consists of tourist guides affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. Data was obtained from 402 guides through a survey conducted in May 2023. During the data analysis process, reliability analysis, distribution analysis, normality test, exploratory factor analysis, and difference tests were applied. The study concludes that tourist guides act as cultural ambassadors. The study items were examined in three dimensions. As a result of the study, it was determined that there is a gender-related change in the transmission of cultural influences.