ABSTRACT
The tourism industry has been devastated by COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019), with tour guides taking the brunt. Through in-depth interviews with 24 freelance tour guides in China and thematic analysis, this study addressed why they continue to work in this field and provided some insights for the freelance tour guides to stay in the tourism industry. The findings revealed that some individuals stay active because of their optimistic and open personality, professional recognition, etc. In contrast, others are passively locked into their current career path due to their cautious personality, fear of losing human capital, inertia, low self-efficacy, and limited job opportunities. These findings promote the application of path dependence theory in the career decision-making of freelancers by enhancing our understanding of the diverse reasons underlying individuals' retention behaviors in an unorganized setting in the context of COVID-19.