STRESS AND COPING IN TOURIST ATTRACTION EMPLOYEES

Front-line employees in tourism attractions are vital elements in the quest for service quality and visitor satisfaction. The tourism attraction work environment presents a variety of demands and pressures which may become sources of stress for personnel. Stress can have negative impacts on both the employee and the organization. It is therefore important to identify and understand the stressors experienced by employees in order to develop appropriate management methods. The study reported in this article investigated the stressors experienced by 102 front-line attraction personnel in 14 Australian tourist settings. The coping strategies used to deal with stressors were also recorded. The results indicate that although certain structural characteristics of the employee's job caused stress, management and management behaviour was the principal source of stress for respondents.