The Role of Storytelling on Cultural Heritage Transfer of Tourist Guides

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the role of the use of stories in the transmission of cultural heritage by tourist guides. Today, sustainable values are prioritized. In this context, it is very important that the cultural heritage is also sustainable. In this respect, tourist guides are narrators who act as a bridge between cultural heritage and future generations. Therefore, in order to determine what role, the stories of the destinations play on the tourists, the tourist guides who have the opportunity to observe the reactions by telling these stories directly were interviewed. This study has been prepared as case study research which is one of the qualitative research methods. Data were collected via a semi-structured questionnaire from ten people who actively work as tourist guides. The obtained data were analyzed by content analysis. According to the findings of the study; storytelling makes the process of transferring cultural heritage much more engaging, catchy, entertaining and informative. On the model, the roles of storytelling in terms of both tourist guides (narrator) and tourists (listeners) are given. The outputs after storytelling are examined in the context of tourists, tourist guides and cultural heritage.