Introduction

Travel and tourism are the major business in the world. Tourism is a form of

business, which generates information, accommodations, transportation, and other

services to travelers and is established nearly all over the world.

The goal of this report is to evaluate the experience of visiting Peranakan

Museum in order to review the usefulness of the service provider. This will also

create a better understanding of the significant association between leadership, risk,

recreation and tourism. Furthermore, the description of the activity and the

organization (Peranakan Museum), together with the justification of selecting the

activity will be further discussed in this report.

The Peranakan Museum studies the background of Peranakan communities

in Southeast Asia. Positioned in the prior Tao Nan Chinese School, this special

museum, formed in 1912, comprises one of the first-rate and most wide-ranging

collections of Peranakan items. Moreover, the traditional backgrounds and the

distinctive visual arts of the Peranakans are explained in the three floors galleries

(Peranakan Museum, 2011).

Performing under the National Heritage Board, the Peranakan Museum offers

an interesting and informative experience for all, whilst signifying the living culture of

the Peranakan society in the region (Peranakan Museum, 2011).

Description and Justification

The activity conducted in Peranakan Museum involves learning the different

aspects of Peranakan communities such as Origins, Language, Weddings, Public

Life, Fashion, Religion, as well as Food and Feasting. The interval of this activity

takes place for approximately one hour. During the session, the tour guide will guide

the visitors throughout the galleries, which present different themes and explain the

background and its foundation in detail with the help of advanced display equipment.

The aim of selecting this activity is to recognize about the little acknowledged

sub-culture; that of the Malay Straits Chinese. By visiting this museum, it enables

one to discover the backgrounds and civilizations of Asia, so as to boost awareness

and appreciation of the inherited traditions of Singaporeans and their links to

Southeast Asia and the world.

Critical ReviewCommunication and Interpretation

Interpretation plays a significant part in supporting sustainable tourism as well

as affecting the change in visitor behaviour. This is merely because one will not be

able to attain a full understanding concerning what is missing or what is happening

until they are able to interpret either qualitatively or quantitatively (Parth, 2012).

According to Ham (1992) and Moscardo (1998), visitor satisfaction is

improved by interpretation. In Tourism-oriented, interpretation is described as ‘any

designed or organized activity which obtains to generate for visitors an

understanding of the olden times and importance of people, objects, and events

related to the site’ (Alderson & Low, 1985). Interpretation can be understood through

identifying individual perspectives and language. In this case, these are important

features because by understanding one’s perspective and preference of language,

guides will have a clearer idea of how to interpret the message across to the visitors

effectively. According to Shafernich (1993), costumed interpreters hold a vital role in

impacting impression to visitors’ experiences especially at historic sets.

In Peranakan Museum, tourists basically encountered interpretation through

guides at the sites by using a wide-ranging of means such as audio-visual displays,

guided tours and guidebooks to pass on information. The key reason for Peranakan

Museum to use this variety of tools is to help visitors who have different ways of

learning such as visual learners, auditory learners or kinesthetic learners, so that

they are able to interpret the message based on their own preferences method of

learning. In addition, interpretation in Peranakan Museum was mainly structured and

organized around themes, which was evident by the use of nine galleries spread

throughout the three floors that each explains about specific themes. This has

apparently aided the understanding process of the tourists, as when the themes are

organized and classified, visitors are able to interpret the message easier compared

to that information that is disordered. Moreover, Peranakan Museum also provides

guidebooks as a form of interpretative tool that is useful for the visitors as it helps to

guide the tourist ‘gaze’ and find markers as central to tourism. With this,

interpretation in Peranakan Museum was generally delivered effectively.

Role of Tour Guide

Tourist guiding has a multifaceted and significant part in modern-day tourism.

A secure and quality experience presented by a guided tour includes the guide,

tourists and the surroundings, and is achieved once all the three components

interrelate at the same point in time and space (Rabotic, 2009).

According to the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (EFTGA)

and the International Association of Tour Managers (IATM), a tour guide refers to an

individual who explains in an enthusing and interesting manner, in the language of

the visitors’ preference, the traditional and natural heritage and circumstances’

(IATM, EFTGA, 1998). The way in which the customers experience a place or

attraction, contribute in local activities, comprehend local tradition and behave on the

setting are affected by what guides offer and interpret. For instance, in Peranakan

Museum, I believe they desire to see the visitors showing appreciation towards the

cultures as well as engaging behavior with the tour guides rather than being passive

learners. Hence, the tour guide in Peranakan Museum also recognize their tasks as

a pathfinder, who is responsible to control, direct and manage tension in the

circumstances and as a mentor, who is accountable to communicate with the visitors

effectively by selecting and disseminating the information.

Persisting on the actuality that guides are of vital significance both for tourist

experience and tourism, Black (in: Pastorelli, 2003) has distinguished the

subsequent roles: social facilitator, information provider, influence of conservation

values, interpreter of the cultural and natural environment, cultural presenter, and

people mover. According to Cohen (1985), tour guides perform four major roles:

instrumental, interactionary, social, and communicative. Moreover, Cohen also

recognizes four types of guides who concentrate on one of each of these roles;

Originals, Tour Leaders, Animators, and Professionals.

In Peranakan Museum, the functions of the role played by the guide were

social and communicative. As an Animator, the guide in Peranakan Museum worked

together and socialized with the tourists by being friendly, listening and valuing their

preferences. Besides, the guide provided in Peranakan Museum also performed the

communicative function. As a Professional, they perform the function, which includes

passing on specified information (e.g. informing and describing to tourists when,

where and why to observe, as well as how to behave) and explaining sets,

attractions and experiences (Reisinger & Steiner, 2006). In addition, in terms of

ethical considerations Peranakan Museum showed satisfying outcome as the

accuracy of facts spoken was apparent. Also, there was no shortchanging of time

during the guiding session just as mentioned by the guide prior to the guiding

session that the duration would last for approximately one hour. Likewise, price

charged was precise as mentioned in the website, which stated that fee for students

is $4.00 while there was no charge for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.

Ultimately, the experience delivered in Peranakan Museum was satisfying as

the guide’s self-confidence, knowledge, communication skills and professionalism

were reflecting their positive personality. However, there are still some aspects that

could have been improved such as the mode of information delivery, as in this case,

the guide in Peranakan Museum mainly delivered the information by speaking

throughout the guiding session without providing any engaging activities to keep the

visitors’ attentiveness. There are many reasons that could contribute to this

weakness such as lack of advanced technology to attract the visitors’ attention or

time constraint. Therefore, due to this fact, some visitors might lose their interest in

maintaining their alertness levels, as it might get too dull especially for the younger

generations.

Skill Level and Satisfaction

Satisfaction refers to ‘the extent of congruency between the expectations of

individuals and the actual experience’ (Plummer, 2009). There are several aspects

that may influence the visitor satisfaction such as skill level, perception and

expectation.

Skill level specifies the degree of stimulation felt by the visitor, which will affect

their involvement level (Ryan, 1991). However, a place or a tour guide can also

improve the skill levels to certain extent. For instance, when a place or a tour guide

are capable of presenting details about the information needed such as providing

signs or direction, this will help the visitors to locate markers as important, thus

improving their skill levels. In Tourism, understanding one’s skill level is crucial

because when a challenge outdoes the tourist skill, it will lead to frustration and

decline in participation. On the other hand, when the skill outdoes the challenge, it

will lead to dullness and tedium in involvement instead (Carmichael, 2012).

Next, satisfaction is mostly experience reliant. This indicates that, expectation

and perception of the tourists play a substantial role in defining the level of

satisfaction. In relation to the role of tour guide, guides are capable of influencing the

tourists’ expectation and perception. For instance, what guides present will give the

visitors certain idea and expectation of their upcoming experience. Thus, the better

the tour guides present about a place or an attraction, the higher the expectation in

the minds of the visitors.

Perception is described as the process by which people choose, arrange, and

translate stimuli – one’s idea or understanding of something (Carmichael, 2012). In

this case, it is inevitable that the museum and the guide surely play a part in shaping

perceptions. For instance, visitors might have their initial expectation before

experiencing the museum, however this expectation might change after experiencing

the actual performance. Similarly, expectation is also identified as an individual own

vision of the outcome that will derive from their experience (Carmichael, 2012).

Hence, satisfaction is associated to the difference between a customer’s pre-

experience anticipations and views of service performance (Clemons & Woodruff,

1992).

In Peranakan Museum, certain skill level such as a slight understanding of

Singapore background is required in order to avoid any dissatisfaction within the

visitors that might eventually result in boredom as well as reduction in participation.

However, this Museum has also recognized the need to perform beyond the visitors’

expectation due to the fact that tourist who has high skill level tend to have higher

expectation compared to those who has low skill. Therefore, in order to satisfy the

visitors, Peranakan Museum provides excellent details focusing on the exciting

themes about the Peranakan to keep the tourists amazed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, based on the experience analyzed, interpretation, role of tour

guide as well as skill level play major role in tourism industry. By drawing from the

experience, these three components are some of the critical factors that affect the

tourists’ satisfaction.

Based on the observation, Peranakan Museum understands the impact of

interpretation in visitors’ satisfaction. Hence, it has chosen to further deliver the

information more effectively by providing several tools such as guided tours,

guidebooks, and audio-visual displays.

Besides interpretation, tour guide also plays a substantial role in tourism.

Through observation, Peranakan Museum has reflected the qualities of a great tour

guide, which are understandable, prompt, welcoming, well-informed, observant and

good pacing. In addition, the guide in Peranakan Museum has correspondingly taken

the further effort to relate with the visitors rather than treating them as passive

learners.

Lastly, Peranakan Museum has also considered the importance of skill levels

of visitors’ as it affects the visitors’ expectation. Hence, in order to maintain the

satisfaction, Peranakan Museum strives to perform beyond the expectations by

avoiding any discussion relating to dull topics.

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Appendices – Evidence of Participation in the Program