New waves of tourists appreciate being accommodated in their own language

April 5, 2011

Leisure and hospitality companies can expect to see increasing waves of tourists from emerging economies in the near future, and the best way to make sure they go home happy may be to offer services in their different languages.

These are among the findings of a recent study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The research focused on China, one such emerging economy that is sending more and more international travelers as individual incomes rise. By 2020, Chinese travelers will rank third among international arrivals to North America, and there will be 25 million new first-time Chinese travelers every year for the next decade.

Leisure and hospitality establishments aren’t keeping up with these trends yet, however, the research found. BCG polled 4,250 Chinese tourists in 15 cities to ask them about how satisfied they were with their accommodations on their international travels, and the consensus was less than positive. One of the main complaints from international travelers was that they perceived accommodation and dining establishments as making little effort to communicate with them in their own language, whether through translations on menus and brochures or with Chinese-speaking staff.

According to an article about the study in the Wall Street Journal, BCG’s researchers also point out that companies in the tourism business may have to work twice as hard to differentiate themselves from the competition when trying to attract clientele from certain countries. While tourists from countries that have sent visitors to the U.S. for years may be able to rely on word-of-mouth recommendations, travelers from emerging economies are still exploring hospitality and tourism offerings in the U.S., so they may rely more on travel agents and choose hotel and restaurant names they already know.

Those companies that manage to distinguish themselves to emerging economies at this early stage of tourism growth may have an edge in the long run. These first waves of travelers may bring word-of-mouth recommendations back to their native lands, which can affect U.S. hospitality businesses for years to come.

One of the ways the hotel and hospitality businesses can distinguish themselves is by hiring staff that speak the tourists’ native languages. Many companies hire multi-lingual staff with the help of a cultural exchange organization who can sponsor international students. These cultural exchange organizations can match employers with international students from around the world who are searching for short-term seasonal work or professional training in the U.S.

Such multilingual staff can allow guests to express themselves in their native languages and may make visitors feel more at ease and welcome, ultimately creating a positive experience that they’re likely to tell friends and family about once they return home.