The Perception of Tour Guides of Diversifying Destination Images : The Case of Egypt

Egypt has long been branded as a cultural destination possessing a treasure of antiquities ranging from pharaonic, Islamic and Greco- Roman relics. However, Egypt has made some attempts to diversify this cultural image. Hence, the aim of this research paper is to trace back the implications of this promotional shift through testing the perception of the Egyptian tour guides. A questionnaire was designed to examine the perception of these tour guides since the official introduction of the new diversified image of Egypt. The tour guides were asked some questions to test their perception on the new projected image of the destination. The results drawn from these questions were analyzed using the descriptive statistical approach. The research finally suggested some recommendations, as well as implications for future research that should be carefully considered by tourist promotion Authorities in Egypt, as well as any other tourist destination aiming for diversifying its tourist base to cater for multiple tourist segments.