A short-form measure for assessment of emotional intelligence for tour guides: Development and evaluation

Emotional intelligence (EI) is being recognized as a correlate of success in various domains of personal and professional life. The aim of this study is to generate and evaluate a shortened Chinese version of the Emotional Skills Assessment Process-Condensed Version (ESAP-CV) instrument for tour guides. Two stages with a total sample of 660 tour guides were conducted. The first sample (N = 260) was to develop the brief version through various deletion criteria, and the second sample (N = 400) was to examine factor structure, reliability, and validity of the short form through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results indicate that the reliable and valid 35-item version (ESAP-CV-35), reduced from 104 items, captures the multidimensional nature of EI in six subscales. It offers tourism researchers a promising tool for conducting further EI-related research in a timely, effective and easily-administered manner.

► Evidence for EI as a correlate of success in various domains is becoming abundant.
► A scarcity of tourism literature exists exploring EI-related issues.
► Tour guides significantly influence tourists' impressions of a destination.
► This study aims to generate and evaluate an EI assessment for tour guides.
► A short-form measure is developed with both acceptable validity and reliability.