Introduction
Tourism is an industry routed in multi-culturalism, one that thrives on international trade. Successful hotel chains, amusement parks, museums, and more all share one thing in common; they deliver their product translated into multiple languages.
In theory, tour guide voiceovers, menus, and facilities signage should be available in a variety of languages as it will attract more potential customers. More than 50% of people worldwide only speak their native language. Plus, an estimated 1.4 billion people a year are traveling internationally. This means a multilingual business model has a huge potential market to cater to.
Here we explore the top 5 language services that the tourist sector could benefit from:
1 – Translation
Investing in translation services could positively impact a business in the travel industry, offering opportunities for hotels, amusement parks, public transport, and more to service customers of all nationalities. For example, a hotel's printed materials, signage, and welcome packs translated into a guest's preferred language would undoubtedly improve their stay. The number of international visitors that are choosing to vacation in the US has grown to 90.3 million. The last thing you, as a business owner, would want, is to lose potential vacationers to a competitor who is offering their product in the consumer's native language.
2 – Localization
Localization is an important aspect of the translation industry as it can help businesses become integrated with international cultures. Amusement parks are often popular with tourists, however, to succeed in this industry the rides and attractions need to be understood by all cultures.
One example would be Disneyland Florida re-launching the Jungle Cruise attraction after an initial culturally insensitive launch. Disney failed to achieve cultural awareness as the original attraction was using songs and characters that were inappropriate for today’s climate. Thankfully, the ride is currently closed and being rethought. To avoid localization disasters and ensure awareness when naming, branding, and advertising your business rely on a localization expert to support you.
3 – Multilingual SEO
The tourism industry should also consider multilingual SEO. This type of translation service involves translating and then optimizing a website’s content to rank in international searches. Multilingual SEO can be used by hotels, amusement parks, airlines, and many more to capture vacationers at the first point of their journey: booking!
Booking vacations has moved online. Over 80% of international travelers are being booked digitally. To tap into the billions of non-English speaking tourists searching for hotels and more, tourism giants like Rocco Forte Hotels have worked with Wolfestone Group to appear front and center in their audiences' booking journey. Investing in multilingual SEO will capture new clients in boosted website traffic and more leads.
4 – Multilingual Multimedia
There are a variety of multimedia services that could boost business for the travel industry, specifically in the commercial airline industry.
Airlines across the world use announcements, safety instructions, in-flight entertainment, legal documents, and advertising to both communicate and enhance their offering. Ensuring every passenger can comfortably understand the in-flight safety announcement without information being misunderstood or miscommunicated will boost brand reputation, enhance customer experience and ultimately drive repeat bookings. Transportation Security Administration agreed with the importance of translating the commercial flying experience and passed a bill in 2021, meaning all major American airports must translate their signs and flyer communications. Start translating your business's multimedia today.
5 – Language Training
Wolfestone Group has been working with hotel chains for years. Teaching front-of-house staff the languages their guests speak. Many tourists rely on travel representatives or the hotel concierge for more information about their hotel, local area, restaurants, and more. The benefits of having those core staff communicating in the guest's native languages means they can enhance a customer's experience. Wolfestone hotel clients with bilingual trained staff report a substantial percentage of returning guests which in turn puts them ahead of the competition.
The tourism industry, in all its elements, could benefit from translation, multimedia services, language training, localization, and multilingual SEO. Using an agency with experience in the sector and with a track record of helping businesses grow internationally makes us a perfect full-service language agency to help. Are you looking to increase business leads, visitors to your facilities, and vacationers to your destination... Get in contact today for a quote in 60 minutes
