The purpose of the study is to find the relationship between tourists' perception of importance in evaluating tour guides communication competencies and tourist motivation as well as classifying the tourists by nationalities.
The empirical results of this study are as follows:
First, Americans showed a high evaluation of all other communication competencies factors. Americans showed no relationship between tourist motivation and tourists' perception of importance in evaluating tour guides communication competencies. Second, Japanese showed a relatively lower evaluation of all communication competencies factors. Japanese showed significant relationship between 'social adjustive', 'knowledge', 'punishment minimization' from tourist motivation factors and 'language adaptability', 'enthusiasm', 'interaction' from tour guides communication competencies. Third, Chinese showed a high evaluation of all communication competencies factors, especially, 'interaction' factor of tour guide. Chinese showed significant relationship between 'knowledge' from tourist motivation factors and 'language adaptability', 'enthusiasm', 'interpretation' from tour guides communication competencies.
Based on the results of the above analysis, the author suggests the desirable way of building up the tour guide policy relevant to segmented market of foreign tourists.