ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses and critically examines the concept of interpretation. It explores how tour guides act as interpretation agents and presents a case study of zookeepers as interpreters as well as considering how guides need to be culturally sensitive to be effective communicators. Education can be used in tourism planning and management in a variety of ways. A guide accompanying a coach tour giving information about the likely time of arrival is providing information and is therefore engaging tourists in an educational process, although this will be less formal than a lecture. Education can be used as an important technique in tourism management. The use of education for tourism management is within the context of what is termed interpretation. Interpretation can also be used to transform visitors' thinking and behaviour, with the intention that they become 'mindful' tourists. However, there is little evidence, to date, that education programmes within interpretation necessarily lead to changes in behaviour.
