It is all an emotional performance: The emotional labor of the first-year seasonal wilderness tour guides

Abstract

This study examines the emotional labor experiences of first-year seasonal wilderness guides in Lapland’s tourism industry. Drawing qualitative data, the research investigates how novice guides interpret, perform, and cope with the emotional demands of their role. The findings reveal that guides primarily learn emotion labor requirements through on-the-job experience rather than formal training, often experiencing significant emotional dissonance when client expectations clash with realities. The research identifies four critical issues affecting guide wellbeing: emotional labor burnout resulting from prolonged surface acting, systematic absence of emotional labor training, extreme working conditions that hinder psychological recovery, and insufficient managerial support during challenging service encounters. These interrelated issues create a “high demands-low resources” occupational environment that threatens both to individual wellbeing and organizational sustainability. The study contributes to emotional labor literature by illuminating the unique challenges faced by seasonal wilderness guides and offers implications for tourism management practices in tourism settings where service outcomes are contingent upon uncontrollable environmental factors.