A tourist guide: the concept, meaning, classification and consumer characteristics

The article discusses the concept of "tourist guide" as integral part of the tourism industry. Tourist guide is the most important form of information support, and, at the same time, a part of the printed culture of mankind, a form of communication and a way of broadcasting information. The author considers the role of a tourist guide as an information and reference resource from historical and modern points of view. Guidebooks meet the consumer qualities and has features of compliance with changing requirements on the part of their consumers. Guidebooks differ in their significance, content, functionality, completeness, quality, target audience, etc. The article presents various approaches and factors for the classification of tourist guides. Tourist guides can be perceived as models of a tourist territory, a directory of tourist objects, a collection of brands of the territory, a landmark in the area, a product of the tourism industry, a souvenir and / or a keepsake. The author considers the functions and genre features of tourist guides and determines the prospects for further possible studies of this genre of professional tourist literature.