Examining the Role of Tour Guide Competence in Shaping Tourist Experiences and Revisit Intentions: Evidence from SEM-PLS Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of tour guide competence on revisit intention through tourist experience in urban tourism destinations in Jakarta, Indonesia. A quantitative approach with descriptive and explanatory designs was applied. Data were collected from 300 tourists who had used tour guide services at Kota Tua, TMII, Monas, Glodok, and Blok M Space. The data were analysed using SmartPLS 4. The findings show that tour guide competence does not significantly affect tourist experience. However, it has a positive and significant effect on revisit intention because tourists base their intention to return on the guide’s professionalism, credibility, reliability, and service quality. Tourist experience also has a positive and significant effect on revisit intention. However, tourist experience does not mediate the relationship between tour guide competence and revisit intention, indicating that revisit intention is influenced independently by tourists’ evaluations of guide competence and their overall tourism experience. Therefore, destination managers should enhance tour guide competencies while also improving attraction quality, infrastructure, and experience design to encourage repeat visits. This study integrates Boyatzis’ competency model, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and Experiential Marketing theory into a unified framework to explain revisit intention in the context of Indonesian urban tourism destinations.