With the summer around the corner, vacation time par excellence is back, a time when everyone is looking forward to traveling to some destination where they can find solace from their daily activities as well as grab the opportunity to enjoy leisure and entertainment focused on different public groups. This range of services makes up a good part of the tourist sector, which represents one of the greatest economic drivers for many regions: visits to places of interest (monuments, churches, gardens, palaces, etc.), special events (festivals, concerts, local celebrations, exhibitions, competitions, etc.), one-time events (sports competitions, typical local activities in a region or town, etc.), local goods tastings (wines, cheeses, seafood, etc.). Therefore, it is a sector offering a large number of opportunities for doing business and thus, making a profit. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting the fact that, quite often, this economic bonanza is only reserved for those months every year when the weather is propitious for a vacation, relegating the remaining months to a low season that is less buoyant meaning that when the right circumstances come along, businesses need to make the most out of them.
Such reality also has a strong impact in the world of language service providers. As we explained in The role of translation in the tourist sector, this is an activity that is closely linked to international travel, as the tourist crowd enjoys discovering new places and getting immersed in their local cultures and there is often a language barrier between the tourist’s mother tongue and that of their destination. Thus, companies in the sector are well aware that they need a good localization strategy in order to achieve success in the tourist market. In fact, today it is not possible to understand tourism without language services. This is due to the fact that intercultural relationships are of crucial importance in this sector. The adaptation of content to different languages allows potential clients/tourists to make fully informed decisions concerning the services to be hired, such that there is an increased sense of trust. Likewise, businesses that bank on a localization strategy are going to make a better impression on their clients, so that increasing loyalty and a strengthened tourism culture are created as a result which, in turn, will have an impact on the commercial ties between both cultures at the tourism level. Moreover, businesses’ public image improves greatly, since this shows a professional manner of dealing with the clients as well as a good level of engagement as a service signature. For this reason, the role of translation in tourism is clearly justified.
As we discussed in Translation and gastro-tourism, there are many fields where we can locate translation needs. In today’s article we will highlight the most frequent language services for hotels and similar recreational grounds.
In essence, translation in the hospitality sector is just seeking to provide equal accessibility to all its clients, regardless of what their mother tongue might be. This leads to the thought that, for greater success, guests must enjoy an experience that is accessible from beginning to end. So, what does this mean exactly? When we plan a vacation in our destination, one of the first tasks we are faced with is a hotel search. We usually make a comparison between the different offers, in accordance with our tastes, needs and expectations. Here it is of the essence to have comparative search engines that offer an interface which allows us to find all the required information in several languages or, at the very least, in the most common languages in their target market. This includes the translation of comparative search websites and the sites of every promoter. In fact, we are all used to a popular format where these interfaces are in both the local language and English, despite the increasing trend of translating to additional languages depending on the target audience. This is the way for businesses to show trustworthiness and to reinforce loyalty among its clients, which in turn feeds back to a corporate culture that is more sensitized to its clients’ needs. Obviously, this localization can be extended to all the materials that are typical in the hospitality sector. We can start with the list of services on offer, both online and printed on informative leaflets or banners. Clients appreciate being informed about all the possibilities their accommodation has to offer, and this can be crucial at the time of making a booking. Likewise, there are many informative documents to be translated, such as eventual warnings (areas closed for maintenance, or failures), applicable rules in the facilities (COVID protocols, dressing room with respect to bathing areas and indoor areas), the facility’s layout and other safety indications, such as the emergency protocol in the event of a fire. Of course, if we want to make an impression with our level of professionalism, it is also necessary to translate the legal documentation, as well as the comment sheets or the agreements signed between both parties to regulate the conditions of the commercial relationship. In fact, one of the aspects that are worth investing in is the hiring of interpretation services, or hiring staff who master more than one language to be able to give a more personal touch to their customer care.
We can also highlight the translation of former clients’ reviews, so useful in attracting new clients from their own stomping grounds. Of course, we can also invest in the translation of our company blog, to boost interest in our facilities and corporate image from a friendly point of view.
All in all, translation is an indispensable service for hotels. Every business in this sector that wishes to succeed should take good note and consider an investment in localization as a safe bet that is quickly becoming a requirement.
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