Tourism is the most superficial way of an intercultural encounter1 and one of the biggest industrial
sectors in the world. “The WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) estimates that
over 230 million jobs in world are supported by the tourism industry, which equates to 8.3 per
cent of total global employment, or one in every 12 jobs.”2 Furthermore, the latest statistics
from 2008 show that tourism has not reached its peak yet. Over 80 countries earned more
than € 642 billion through international tourism in 2008, while in 1990 it had only been € 207
billion.3 Another statistic representing and pointing up the booming tendency is the one showing
the international tourist arrivals: while there had only been 25 million arrivals in 1950, the
number constantly rose to 922 million in 2008 and by 2020 1.6 billion international tourist
arrivals are expected.4 With so many tourists spending time abroad every year it is a logical
consequence that different culture groups meet. From time to time, people may spend two
weeks in Turkey, Dubai, Cancun or on Bali. This unfortunately might happen without the
people even getting the local culture rudimentarily. But if they try to get to know the local culture,
difficulties may occur. It is not only the language which is different and causes troubles
and misunderstandings in communication; attitudes and the way people think vary greatly.
Tourists often do not prepare themselves properly for their stays abroad; just reading a travel
guide may not be sufficient at all. When going abroad people need to be aware of different
behavioural rules and patterns. But not only tourists have to face this problem. In the tourism
industry many people work abroad which not only leads to multicultural teams but also to
misunderstandings going back to cultural differences. These groups, both tourists and employees,
need to face their upcoming cultural communication challenges. Communication is
an important and indispensible commodity; especially in the tourism industry conversations
and interpersonal contact are trivial. Imagine a city tour or a checkout without a single word
spoken. According to scientific investigations on interpersonal communications in the economy,
managers spend 70% of their daily labour time with communicating.5 Due to the increasing
internationalisation and globalisation of the tourism industry, the effects of intercultural
relations on human resource management need to be taken into consideration.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Problem and Research Question
- Research Objectives
- Structure and Content
- Culture and its Implications
- Definition
- Cultural Dimensions
- Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck's Cultural Dimensions
- Hall's Cultural Dimensions
- Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
- Trompenaars' Cultural Dimensions
- Cultural Differences
- Communication and its Implications
- Definition
- Levels of Communication
- Verbal Communication
- Para-verbal Communication
- Non-verbal Communication
- Intercultural Communication
- History and Development
- Relevance
- Barriers to Intercultural Communication
- Intercultural Contact and Culture Shock
- Cultural and Communicational Problems in the Tourism Industry
- Surveys on Cultural Challenges occurring
- Empiric Approach
- Interviewees target group
- Research results concerning Intercultural Communication
- Analysis of the Employee - Employee Level
- Interviewees of Survey 1
- Attitude towards Work Flow
- Team
- Time
- Business meetings
- Communication
- Motivation and Aims
- Misunderstandings
- Analysis of the Host - Tourist / Guest Level
- Interviewees of Survey 2
- Tourist Behaviour
- Travel Motivation
- Social Contact for the Tourist
- Misunderstandings
- Preventing Cultural Discrepancies in a Tourism Enterprise
- Aims and Necessity of Compensation
- Methods
- Intercultural Training
- Culture-Assimilator
- Culture Awareness Training / Diversity Training
- Contrast Culture Training
- Intercultural Team-Building
- Language, Translation and Communication Training
- Intercultural Reintegration
- Critical Reflection
- Target Check
- Conclusion
- Cultural Dimensions and Their Impact on Communication
- Barriers and Challenges in Intercultural Communication within the Tourism Industry
- Empirical Research on Cultural Differences and Misunderstandings
- Strategies and Methods for Reducing Cultural Discrepancies in Tourism Enterprises
- Intercultural Training and Development Programs
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This bachelor's thesis delves into the realm of intercultural communication within the tourism industry. Its primary objective is to explore cultural differences and misunderstandings that arise in this sector and propose solutions to mitigate them. The work investigates the impact of cultural dimensions on communication and highlights the challenges faced by both employees and tourists in a diverse and globalized travel environment.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The thesis begins with an introduction outlining the problem statement and research question, focusing on the significance of understanding and mitigating intercultural communication challenges in the tourism industry.
Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive definition of culture and explores various frameworks for understanding cultural dimensions. These frameworks, including Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck's, Hall's, Hofstede's, and Trompenaars' models, offer valuable insights into the diverse cultural values and perspectives that influence communication and interactions. The chapter concludes by examining the implications of cultural differences in communication and interpersonal relationships.
Chapter 3 delves into the intricacies of communication, providing definitions and exploring different levels of communication, including verbal, para-verbal, and non-verbal. This chapter also explores the concept of intercultural communication, its history, relevance, and key challenges. It further investigates the phenomenon of culture shock and its impact on intercultural encounters.
Chapter 4 focuses on analyzing cultural and communication problems within the tourism industry. It presents findings from empirical research conducted through surveys targeting both employees and tourists, highlighting common challenges and misunderstandings experienced in various aspects of the tourism experience, including work flow, team dynamics, business meetings, and interactions between hosts and guests.
Chapter 5 explores strategies for preventing cultural discrepancies in tourism enterprises. This chapter delves into the necessity of intercultural training and presents various methods, including culture-assimilator, culture awareness training, contrast culture training, and intercultural team-building programs. It also discusses the significance of language, translation, and communication training and the importance of intercultural reintegration for individuals returning from diverse cultural experiences.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and topics addressed in this thesis include intercultural communication, tourism industry, cultural dimensions, cultural differences, misunderstandings, intercultural competence, training programs, communication strategies, cultural awareness, diversity training, and culture shock.
- Quote paper
- Corinna Vellnagel (Author), 2010, Intercultural Communication within the Tourism Industry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/160357
