The Effect of Tour Leaders' Emotional Intelligence on Tourists' Consequences

There has been little discussion on the impact of tour leaders' emotional intelligence on tourists' consequences although the study of emotional intelligence has gained attention in the tourism industry. Empirical data to assess emotional intelligence, affect, rapport, and customer satisfaction were collected from 54 tour leaders and 526 tour members participating in group package tours in Taiwan. Cross-level analysis with hierarchical linear models revealed that a tour leaders' emotional intelligence could cultivate tour members' positive affect and tour leader-member rapport, and lead to tourists' satisfaction. Furthermore, the study discusses management implications and suggestions for future research.