O guia-intérprete: mediador intercultural

A citação acima resume a essência do turismo como fenómeno cultural, intercultural e global. Partindo deste pressuposto, propomos que o turismo intercultural seja examinado como uma interdisciplina, formada pela intersecção de outras disciplinas, tanto da área da Sociologia como das Humanidades. Numa abordagem intercultural cabem ainda sugestões de inserção de outras matérias. O papel de mediador cultural é desempenhado pelo guia-intérprete que detém o poder da informação. Esse poder permite-lhe influenciar tanto o turista como a comunidade de acolhimento. Se o guia usar correctamente o seu poder será parcialmente responsável pelo retorno do turista. O guia tem um papel crucial na promoção do destino através da satisfação do cliente. Este será também um óptimo promotor do destino, pelo fenómeno chamado “boca a boca”. Por outro lado, os guias-intérpretes põem o turista em contacto com a cultura local, utilizando um discurso com referências à escala global. Só desenvolvendo as necessárias competências interculturais, o guia-intérprete será capaz de transmitir com clareza a sua mensagem. Em que consiste o turismo intercultural? Qual o papel dos guias-intérpretes no estabelecimento de relações interculturais? Quais as competências interculturais que devem desenvolver os profissionais para comunicar com os clientes? Concluir-se-á que os guias-intérpretes estabelecem uma ponte segura e fiável entre os actores do turismo, desde que desenvolvam as necessárias competências interculturais

The Consequences of Guiding Profession Deregulation for the Status and Training of Tourist Guides: a Portuguese Overview

In the present neoliberal market economy, the so-called free tours and their unlicensed tourist guides found the perfect environment to practice their activity, which is often criticised by licensed guides. The overall difference between the two types of guides is related to the fact that licensed guides have a formal specific education and training to do their job, sometimes complemented with continuous professional development, whereas free tours’ guides don’t. Therefore, several questions come to mind: Since unqualified guides are actually working without any training, should there be any formal education for tourist guides? How useful is formal and continuous training for tourist guides? Are we training tourist guides properly? This paper tries to answer these questions using the Portuguese case. Besides the documental research and the reference works used for the theoretical approach, tour operators and higher institutions professors specialised in tourist guide training were questioned to develop the research. Then, a meeting with a focus group constituted of 10 licensed tourist guides was carried out. The results show what is being done at present to develop quality guiding, but they also light the path for future tourist guide education and training both from an initial and continuous perspective

Sistema de movimentação linear extensível com accionamentos electromecânicos sincronizados

Esta dissertação tem como objectivo estudar uma solução mecânica e eléctrica que permita anular o tempo de uma operação de não produção numa linha de prensagem instalada numa fábrica de indústria automóvel, a Autoeuropa. No início desta dissertação começa-se por encontrar uma solução de movimentadores telescópicos compatíveis com as restrições de espaço, os requisitos de sincronismo entre ambos e os objectivos de anulação do tempo de não operação. Seguidamente passou-se a uma fase de modelação do sistema mecânico, para permitir estudar o comportamento dinâmico do sistema proposto. Encontrado o movimentador mecânico adequado e feita a sua modelação foram estudadas possíveis soluções para o accionar, bem como formas de o controlar. Este sistema multimáquina foi estudado com dois tipos de máquinas eléctricas e métodos de controlo devido a necessitar de uma dinâmica bastante rápida, com exigência de grande sincronismo entre os dois movimentadores separados, e ainda com vista a tentar explorar a possibilidade de ter menor número de variadores electrónicos do que de máquinas eléctricas. Para tal recorreu-se ao ambiente Matlab para modelar e simular todo o sistema proposto nas suas variantes. Por fim são extraídas diversas conclusões, procurando-se clarificar a viabilidade da ideia e escolher a melhor opção de accionamento. No caso estudado, como o objectivo futuro é aplicar a solução proposta num ambiente industrial definido, há que ter em atenção não só a melhor opção técnica mas também o preço

On Tourist Guiding: Reflecting on a Centuries-old Profession and Proposing Future Challenges

This paper provides a historical overview of Tourist Guiding, followed by some thoughts and reflections on how we can improve and develop our profession into the 21st Century. Thus, the paper traces the main developments of the profession through time. The idea of the paper is to offer a context to this new Journal, and hopefully entice the reader to draw useful parallels when critically reading the content of this and future issues of this publication

Interpretation Performed by Certified Tourist Guides in Lisbon During the Pandemic: a Case Study

Interpretation quality distinguishes tourist guides. According to an investigation carried out by the authors in 2012, tourists who travel with a guide claim that although these professionals play many different, relevant, and complementary roles, interpretation is, without a doubt, the most important asset. In Europe, a traveller can find tourist guides who have a certification issued by international European organisations and who have gone through training in interpretation, together with guides who do not have any training at all and are not certified by any organisation. This paper is only about the former. The idea of conducting this study arose from the fact that, from March 2020 onwards, the Covid-19 pandemic left over 90% of the guides unemployed. Many of them changed profession, others had to live very much below their usual standards, sometimes even facing serious issues, and some of them decided to face the situation by creating their own walking tours (in Lisbon) and started selling them on social media. This is where interpretation really becomes important. To plan and perform a walking tour, guides have to develop very good competences in the interpretation area. In order to obtain data on the interpretation performed by the guides who conducted their walking tours during the pandemic period, a questionnaire was designed and sent to 25 certified guides who were active from March 2020 to February 2021, all performing several themed walking tours in Lisbon. The findings of this research are presented in this paper in the form of a case study. Data collection took place in January and February 2021 aimed at understanding how Lisbon guides who organised and implemented their own walking tours use interpretation tools. Questions were asked to understand who the guides are, what type of tours were designed, the topics and themes of tours, and especially how do tourist guides use their interpretation skills

Reflections on How the COVID-19 Pandemic can Change Tour Guiding

This short editorial paper reflects on the Tour Guiding industry in 2020 and the impact of COVID-19. The paper suggests that while the pandemic and its associated lockdowns has devastated the tourism industry, it has also encouraged those working in the industry to be more innovative and imaginative in their business practices. While the impact of the virus is acknowledged, it is proposed that 2020 may be a turning point in redefining tourism in general and Tour Guiding in particular

IJTGR Volume 1(i) Table of Contents

Table of Contents for the Inaugural Issue of The International Journal of Tour Guiding Researc