Translation in the tourism industry. The British and German markets.

The tourism industry is one of the industries requiring massive translations. Businesses in this industry get customers from all over the world and it is essential for them to address their needs not only with high quality resorts but also with high quality service that will enable them to have a positive tourism experience.

As you know, our Spanish branch is located in a tourist area, the Costa del Sol, and there are often events and seminars addressed to tourism industry professionals, as sometimes being in a sunny area with nice beaches is not enough to get the best clients.

We attended two conferences about specific markets, United Kingdom and Germany.

Although they are the traditional markets coming to the Costa del Sol, their habits have changed, as society has changed.

All customers, not only British and German, are now much more informed, and want much more quality. Considering that the British tourist is just looking for sun and beach at low cost prices is becoming a topic that is less and less true. Their interests are as varied as their visitors:

• Family holidays.
• Nature and rural areas.
• Learning Spanish.
• And yes, the Sun and the beach too.

They are very used to social networks and, as there is a high community of residents living in the area the whole year, they get information easily.

They also book most of their holidays online, instead of going to traditional travel agencies.

As for the German tourists, they are, after the British, the second most important market visiting the Costa del Sol. Their interests are also varied:

• Nature and rural areas.
• Culture.
• Golf.
• Health.
• Retirement. They come first as a tourist and then they buy a property and retire.

They are increasing their online habits, but still they rely much on traditional travel agencies.

How can translation help to get business from these markets?

Most of the bookings are done in their country of origin, so they should learn from you before coming to your destination. Build a nice and user-friendly website, adapt it to all formats (tablet, mobile, wearables, etc.), interact with them in social networks, establish strategic partnerships with in-country professionals and attend industry events. And when you do all this, take into account their language, their culture and their values. Maybe you think that the best you can offer is your swimming pool, when maybe they are more interested in your restaurant.

And what about when they are here? Make sure your staff can communicate with them, that they can be helpful if they have an issue with their passport, if they need medical assistance, etc. Providing a leaflet in their language with some tips about how to avoid being stolen or what to do in case of a medical emergency can be a good starting point to make customers feel you care for them. In appreciation, they will for sure talk about you with relatives and friends, both online and offline.

As mentioned in the conferences, the customer is not the purpose of the business strategy, but one more element of it. So, taking him into account from the very beginning will help you to meet his needs more easily and increase your sales.

At Jensen Localization we can help you to be known in the origin countries when British, German or any other nationality tourists are planning their holidays, and to bridge the language gap with them once they are in your establishment. Feel free to contact us for more information!