Current status of museum guiding in Turkey, problems and proposed solutions

As an essential part of any museum, guides ensure that museums are more than just exhibition spaces. They act as a bridge between the past and the present, opening the doors of art and history to all and fascinating visitors by bringing artefacts to life. To achieve this, it is inevitable for museum guides to specialise in their fields. Specialised museum guides have a significant impact on both the museum and its visitors. This study aims to reveal the current state of museum guidance in Turkey, identify problems and suggest solutions. A qualitative approach was adopted in the study. Among qualitative research designs, phenomenology was preferred. The study's data collection tool was a semi-structured interview technique. After the data were collected, they were analysed using descriptive analysis. Due to the unique nature of the study, purposive sampling was employed to focus on individuals with specific knowledge or experience. In this context, the social world of the study focuses on professional tourist guides. These professional tourist guides were selected based on certain criteria. The findings were analysed using MAXQDA software. The findings suggest that the current state of museum guiding in Turkey is not advanced, is inadequate and open to improvement. While some argue that technological applications will eliminate the need for guides, others claim that they can be beneficial. Although it is said that indoor museums do not provide a suitable environment for visitors and guides, posing physical and mental difficulties, it is also emphasised that they offer ease of expression under seasonal conditions. Finally, suggestions were made for museum and tourist guidance based on the findings. Keywords: Museum, Museum Guidance, Tourist Guidance, Specialization in Tourist Guidance, Specialization in Museum Guidance.