The travel and tourism industry is, by its very nature, a multi-lingual space that connects people from different cultures for a period of time, allowing people to enjoy themselves whilst getting a better understanding of the world.
This hopefully makes for a more empathetic and caring global population. At the heart of this is the ability to communicate across languages, in which translation plays a major role.
The industry has a mix of marketing and advertising material, legal and insurance policies, and administrative documents that all businesses need to function properly.
So, where do you start if you’re moving into a new area or targeting a new market? Figuring out the most important material to translate is something that at LinguLinx, as a Language Services Provider (LSP), we help our clients with.
And what do we suggest leads the way for travel and tourism companies? We’ll tell all here as we look at the top content to translate for the travel industry.
The tourism industry has a wide range of legal and policy documents that make sure people are clear with what they’re getting and the terms and conditions that go along with it.
Correct translation is essential so that bookings, refunds, cancellations, and amendments to agreements are accurately conveyed and understood by all parties.
If you’re collecting data within national or international data protection laws, clear privacy policies have to be shown and agreed. Getting this wrong can lead not only to damage to your brand but also to potential prosecution.
The same principles apply to insurance documents and waivers for any customers getting involved in extreme sports or other activities that come with a heightened element of risk.
Let’s face it, in today’s world, customer service people are important, but your website is your shop window. Online is where your customers find you and where they’ll primarily interact with you.
Translating your website, and content for any other digital platforms that you have a presence on, is critical and will probably involve translating various forms of media, not just text.
All your bookings and reservation pages, destination guides, descriptions of the services you offer, and customer support information will need to be included. The experience new customers have here could make or break when it comes to them being long-term, loyal (and hopefully vocal) advocates of your business.
Creative material that draws people towards your business and what you’re offering will also be made up of a variety of content types, not just text. Online videos, TV and radio commercials, Out Of Home (OOH) advertising all have to be faithfully translated.
This will probably require a step beyond simple translation and require transcreation. This is where creative content is translated in line with the meaning of the message and with cultural sensitivity, if not exactly word for word.
Transcreation is vital for advertising slogans. Just ask Ford who found out too late after they directly translated their tagline “Every car has a high-quality body” for the Belgian market where it came out as “Every car has a high-quality corpse.” Really…Ford? They should’ve known better.
After your customer has made the decision to put themselves in your hands for their travel, the boring but essential documents are what they’ll focus on next.
They’ll want to get everything in order so they feel as comfortable as possible during the often stressful experience of traveling through new airports, terminals, and cities.
Translating E-tickets, itineraries, and other instructional text surrounding flights, trains, cruises, activities, and accommodation information needs careful attention as it often includes instructions and small print.
Travel companies are using digital applications (apps) more frequently these days. Their customers are coming to expect to have one single place where everything from plane tickets and boarding passes to hotel, restaurant, and attractions tickets can be stored and easily accessed.
They want all of this information with them, on their phone, at all times. They’re used to it in their working and personal lives, and this frictionless way of living is expected on holiday too.
Ensure all the content that makes up your app, from buttons and navigation settings to push notifications and any other in-app support information, is accurately translated, including any audio, video, or other dynamic media content.
Making life as easy as possible for your customers is what helps them have an amazing experience when they’re on holiday. And if they do that, they’ll keep coming back and provide the ever-important word-of-mouth marketing that keeps the industry thriving.
There are a lot more documents that may ultimately need translating than we’ve discussed here, but hopefully, you now have a basis to talk to your LSP about and move forward.
If you’re in the travel and tourism industry and don’t yet have an LSP in place to help you with this and other linguistic needs, then we’d love to see how we can support you.
At LinguaLinx, we can help you bring your brand or products to another country, culture or community. Consultations are free, and there’s no obligation.
You’re in safe hands with us as we’re ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 compliant, have over twenty years of professional translation experience, and have earned the trust of organizations around the world.